


The Misadventures of Matchmaking Swimmers

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: 3rd Year!Nagisa, 3rd Year!Rei, Captain!Rei, College, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Matchmaking, Post-Canon, captain!nagisa, the 'ocs' are in the show i just gave them names, there may be some conflict, this is just meant to be lighthearted and fun but im super excited to write it, troublesome kouhais
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 08:38:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2381969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*CURRENTLY ON HIATUS*</p><p>While Nagisa and Rei have been a part of the swimming club for 3 years, Shimazaki Asako has only been a part of it for 3 weeks; and he is already annoyed by their glaring romance.</p><p>Yet it'll take a lot more than watching them flirt with each other to encourage their obvious love, and so Asako takes it upon himself to get those captains to date.</p><p>Iwatobi Matchmaking Club go!</p><p>(( Or: Asako and his friends try a bunch of crazy stunts to get Rei and Nagisa to date, yet most of them are ridiculous or backfire and leave an oblivious pair of swimming dorks to figure their feelings out! ))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Riddle

**Author's Note:**

> A fun, lighthearted and super fluffy fic that I sincerely hope you enjoy! ♪ ♬ ヾ(´︶`♡)ﾉ ♬ ♪
> 
> After receiving some encouraging feedback on tumblr, I thought it would be a good detour to write a 3rd Year!Reigisa fanfiction and scribble some of my headcanons out. Due to the length of each chapter, I'll be able to bang more out, so I hope you can stick with me!
> 
> Have fun reading (◡‿◡✿)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A club is formed in able to speed up the inevitable. Each team needs a set of matchmakers, right?

Sometimes it was hard to get through practice when your captains so blatantly flirted.

It had been somewhat subtle at first, Asako noted, yet over time the blooming romance of Rei and Nagisa was so evident that he couldn't believe they weren't already married.

Alright, that was somewhat of an exaggeration.

Yet that didn't dull the fact that it was truly a struggle to watch his senpais ignore their feelings on a day-to-day basis. It was in the subtle way that Nagisa's pale face glowed pink whenever Rei pointed out the highlights of his swimming, or each time when the hyperactive blond talked (and even when he wasn't) the bespectacled swimmer gazed admiringly at his friend. They seemed to understand each-other, and were more relaxed with one another than anyone else, and it was just so  _obvious_ and  _annoying._

Unfortunately Asako was a hopeless romantic, in a way, which didn't help either. He was very careful to notice each time Rei was startled by Nagisa's exuberance or the petite boy would nuzzle his head pleadingly into his fellow captain's side. It made the misfortune of the established 'platonic' relationship so much more painful. Why neither of the two had made a move he didn't understand, and it also continued to baffle him that none of the other members had said anything.

The first year ran a careful hand through his navy hued hair, and took a brief moment to enjoy the warm sun at his back. It was a nice break from the enigma that was his captains, yet no amount of golden liquid light could distract his inner turmoil.

"Oi, Asako, what's wrong?" the swimmer in question gave a brief breath of recognition, turning to see a pair of chocolate brown eyes focused his way. Practice had just finished up, and the new members of the team were making their way into downtown Iwatobi. As celebration to a successful first month, they had decided to splurge on a sushi dinner.

He clenched his teeth in response, having one _serious_ mental battle over if he should tell his friends about his wistful burden. It seemed only reasonable, and Asako couldn't exactly ignore his friend's inquiry, so he gave up an annoyed sigh, "I was just thinking about Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai."

Hideki gave a rolling glance towards the cobalt-haired boy, ignoring his words. Fujitaka, on the other hand, seemed genuinely concerned, eyes bright as he turned to the tallest of the three, "Ah, were you, Asako-san? Is something wrong? Did they approach you about your swimming?" A light summer breeze rustled the emerald green leaves of a tree above them, causing one to bomb downwards and slap Asako directly in his eye. He gave a high-pitched yell of surprise, wasting no time to flail about like a misguided child and rid himself of the assaulter. Fujitaka gave a hearty, bubbling laugh as the brunet simply gave his teammate a condescending smile.

Finding himself even more annoyed than before, Asako huffed and gave a bitter explanation, "No! I wouldn't let something stupid like that get to me. It's just..." the boy paused, biting down on his lip in anticipation. Having recovered from his chuckling fit, Fujitaka leaned in with baiting breath for the ocean-haired boy's continuation, "Have either of you noticed anything weird about them?"

"If you mean the fact that they're in love- then _yes_! It would take someone blind as shit not to get that. I mean, have you  _seen_ the way Rei-senpai looks at Nagisa-senpai? Gee, get a room-"

"You can't be serious," Hideki's monotonous voice broke the rant of his excitable comrade, amber gaze steady.

Asako and Fujitaka nearly turned to the traitor in unison, mouths gaped open in a shameless display of surprise.

"How could you-"

"Are you stupid or-" 

The two breathed at once, their voices flustered by disbelief. The brunet raised his eyebrows in response, and Asako couldn't help but want to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. _Fujitaka_ , the oblivious and absent-minded boy he was, hadn't even failed to notice their indisputable displays of romanticism. He couldn't help but slap his palm to his forehead, stopping walking all together. This was too much to handle.

"Hideki-san, are you saying... are you saying that you sense  _no_ tension  _whatsoever_ between Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai at  _all_?"

"...Yes."

The olive haired teen beside them gave a start, absolutely astonished at his friend's reaction, "You have to be joking! They don't go one moment without gazing sappily at each-other. You would think Rei-senpai would've turned into a lobster from all the blushing he does!"

Asako raised a quizzical hand to his friend's somewhat ridiculous outburst, but most of him agreed with Fujitaka.

Before either of them could argue their case, Hideki spoke, "Our captains are just friends, there's nothing you could say to persuade me."

It was  _unbelievable_ that the brunet thought of Rei and Nagisa as utterly platonic. The evidence was indisputable! One of them had to make a move sooner or later! 

Less irritated by the couple's earlier ignorance, and more by his friend's reluctance to see the truth, Asako hushed his voice and turned to the shortest first year, charcoal eyes brightly intense, "Fujitaka-san, we need to do something! This has gone on long enough."

The sage haired swimmer gave an enthusiastic nod, hands brought up in passionate fists, "Right! But... what do we do? Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai don't know they love each other, and neither does Hideki-san, and-"

"Oi, you two need to be quieter. I can hear you." the chocolate eyed boy snapped, arms crossed indignantly across his chest while the other two whispered scandalously to each-other. 

Asako nipped nervously at his lips, straightening up with a fluttering panic. They had only been a part of the swim team for 3 weeks, so any gameplay was risky, and what could they do any way? With one non-believer and two clueless romantics any scheme they had would turn up quite disastrous. 

Yet if they were to be the game-makers instead of the players...

"I got it!" Asako blurted out, indigo hair bouncing spiritedly, "Let's be matchmakers!"

"Matchmakers!"

"Matchmakers?"

The boy continued on, feeling a warm fire erupt in his stomach as ideas swelled his brain, "Mhm! We don't know a lot about romance, but Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai do. We can't get them to confess their feelings now, yet with a little persuasion I think they'll go about it themselves."

Fujitaka seemed to catch on to his mischievous scheme almost instantly, "Alright! If we give them a little push," he winked for emphasis, "in the right direction then they're sure to be dating by the end of the season!"

Both teammates positively glowed, facing Hideki with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, to which the brunet gave a puzzled countenance, "Are you two suggesting that you  _force_ Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai to become a couple?"

That sounded a little negative. 

Asako hopped on the case quickly before Fujitaka could say anything embarrassing, a certain determination coloring his face, "N-no! Not like that! We would just do little things so they started noticing."

"Exactly! Oh! We could pretend to leave them notes, or push them in-to each other, or help them confess- and then before you know it we'll have a legendary romance!" The petite teen rushed, not truly taking time to formulate his words before he spoke. Asako turned to the fern haired boy with an encouraging grin, and liked every idea that was thrown out. 

Both turned, with baited breath, to face Hideki- once again putting all the pressure on their comrade.

The partners in crime felt just as warm as the sun on their backs when the brunet sighed, "Fine. I'll help- but only so you two don't act stupid."

Fujitaka rushed forward to clasp Hideki's hands as if he had just won an award, the swimmer looking on the verge of tears, "Really? Amazing! We need to start right away! We can't let Nagisa-senpai and Rei-senpai know, but we can't waste time- but we also don't want to rush into things. What is a good first step? I mean, Asako-san what do you think? Do-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself." The cautious brunet instructed, caramel eyes sincere as he watched over his excitable teammates. The cobalt haired boy simply sighed, still fairly sour that Hideki couldn't see their affections. 

Asako knew that if his captains weren't in love, Rei wouldn't have agreed to being doused by ice cold water during the club assembly, and knew that Nagisa would have become complacent in his studies after a week. If they had had the time, Asako would have launched into a long explanation of their daily flirting. Yet the cool embrace of a sweet breeze brought the teen back into reality, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"We need a procedure, Fujitaka-san is right. But first we must test the waters!"

The olive haired swimmer beside him nearly burst at the seams, eyes alight, " _Test_ _the waters_! That's genius, Asako-san! If we could push one of them into the pool, or at least into each-other, then we can gage a reaction! In a best case scenario it would give them a chance to look into each-other's eyes and-"

Hideki breathed gently, and the cobalt-haired swimmer turned to his friend, "That..." the brunet spoke hesitantly, "isn't that bad of an idea."

Fujitaka gave a toothy grin while Asako simply felt his features relax; the two grateful for their teammate's (although reluctant) guidance.

"It's settled! The Iwatobi Matchmaking Club is official!" the tall teen finalized, proudly standing up straighter. Asako couldn't help but feel a bright beam of pride, yet then his mind started racing. How would they go about this? What if it backfired? Were they even _really_ sure the two captains were in love? A gentle summer breeze seemed to null all these worries, though, as it gave a stir to the bright emerald leaves and pushed the puffy clouds across their blue sky. The swimmer sighed in response, and nodded.

"Step one- push one of our captains down!"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Nagisa set down his pink mechanical pencil- earning a questioning glance from his friend. The two had been diligently studying in Rei's bedroom when all of a sudden the blond felt an unnerving shiver pass through his body.

The bespectacled boy gave a start, "Nagisa-kun, what's wrong? Are you too cold? Ah, I told you you shouldn't wear-"

The sakura eyed swimmer held up a commanding hand for silence to which his companion gave an offended sputtering of words, but Nagisa pressed on, unable to shake the chill. It wasn't the temperature of the room, and he wasn't sick, but-

"Rei-chan?"

"Yes, Nagisa-k-"

"What do you think of the new first years?" He asked, a determined glimmer in his wide eyes. Rei could only raise his eyebrows in response, completely befuddled at why such a question came completely out of the blue. With a sigh, he thought of an appropriate response and pushed his glasses up.

"I suppose they're fine. Fujitaka-kun is the only one I worry about, partially because his hyperactive behavior, yet their addition to the club has saved our status." the cobalt-haired captain reasoned.

Very logical. Very Rei-chan.

Unfortunately, the bubbly blond was not happy with this response, and pouted his cheeks in irritated thought. His intuitive shiver had alarmed him that something was seriously wrong- there was mischief afoot and his radar was blinking red. Nagisa shifted through the many files of his mind, tying to match the sensation to something that made a lick of sense, but he couldn't find anything.

Then it hit him.

"Rei-chan, I don't trust them."

The taller boy was very used to his co-captain's behavior by this time, and fondly rolled his violet eyes, "What a ridiculous thing to say, Nagisa-kun. You can't be serious, what's wrong with them?"

A blush threatened Nagisa's pale face, his maroon eyes positively shining at this point, "Don't say that, I'm not joking!" he leaned forward on the petite table, now face-to-face with his teammate. 

"Rei-chan, this is serious. We need to prepare ourselves."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference of the boys if you're confused:  
> http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=4v1btc&s=8#.VC3i7CtdUag
> 
> This story was so much fun to write and I have a lot stuck in my head for it! Because of the length, I'll be able to update this one more often than my others. ∩(︶▽︶)∩
> 
> I really hope you liked it- and please stick around for more fun, romantic shenanigans! Stuff is gonna get crazy. Also, comments and kudos completely make my day! ≧◡≦


	2. Falling and Flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Step One is put in action! And, of course, it doesn't go as planned. But each start is rocky- right? There's a good end in sight?!

"Rei-kun! I've made a new training schedule." A bright and girly voice, contrast to the many male bodies huddled around the pool, distracted Asako's attention as he stretched. Their redheaded manager had given Rei a hefty stack of papers, each scrawled with tedious notes and crossed-out numbers to formulate the  _optimal_ regime (for their muscles, no doubt).

The bespectacled teen gave it a quick look over, his blond friend hopping over like a curious penguin and peeping over the other captain's shoulder. This required Nagisa standing on his tiptoes, which did not go unnoticed by the observing Asako. 

_Too cute... How does Hideki not see this?_

The cobalt haired first year let his gaze trail lazily over to the brunet in his thoughts, narrowing his eyes accusingly. The other boy caught on, his caramel gaze drifting over to their captains before coming back to Asako, all but encouraging.

They had decided the previous night to put their plan into action.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

_All three swimmers were crowded under the swingset of an old playground, finding themselves there for an official meeting of the Matchmaking Club. Well, they didn't exactly have a sponsor or school recognition- but none of that mattered. They had one, sole goal anyway._

_Get Rei and Nagisa to confess to each-other._

_The cool night breeze that stirred their circle brought Asako's attention to the sky overhead, which looked like ebony velvet rippled by icy, white stars. The moon was pale and full, brimming with the secrets of many that spoke under its watch, and seemed to swell bigger as the first years schemed their catalytic step._

_Fujitaka gave a pump of his legs backwards as he sat on his swing, accidentally slamming his feet right into the knees of an undeserving Hideki who didn't move out of the way fast enough._

_The boy nearly buckled over, breath seething in pain, before Asako could break into uncontrollable laughter and their olive haired friend nearly jumped on top of the injured swimmer. Hideki just waved him away harshly, usually-steady voice labored with pain as he inched their conversation along, "So what do you two suggest we do?" Even if he didn't want to, Hideki had roped himself in to their little 'club', protesting that it was his duty to keep their actions in check. Part of the tallest teen was grateful for this, yet insulted at the same time._

_"Like we thought earlier. Push them, of course."_

_Fujitaka abandoned his assaulted friend, eyes positively gleaming, "Yes, yes! Either into the pool or towards each-other, that way we could have an epic rescue or epic first kiss!"_

_It was Asako this time who gave a slightly hesitant smile, scratching the back of his neck, "Ah, Fujitaka-san, I don't know if we need to go that far on our first attempt."_

_The recovering brunet threw in his own opinion as well, "That seems_ too _extreme. We don't even know if-"_

_"Oh, we do. I'm very confident in their love."_

_The chocolate eyed teen could only furrow his eyebrows in response, not really harboring the energy to start a fight over their captains' affections._

_Fujitaka seemed quite annoyed by their immediate rejection, but not discouraged, and offered another suggestion, "Well... alright then! What if we just push Nagisa-senpai into Rei-senpai? If one falls into the water, that's an added bonus."_

_Asako gave a confident nod, feeling this course of action was much more natural, "Good! That way, we can really test their strength. And who knows, maybe the first step will make them realize their love faster than we expected!" the navy haired swimmer boasted his most prideful expression, hands on his hips as Fujitaka gave a few, weak claps. With something so simple and accidental as their premier test, there was hardly room for error, and they'd be one step closer to Rei and Nagisa confessing._

_The fern-haired boy seemed to jump at his idea, fists clasped in excited enchantment, "Mhm! After our practice, since they'll be tired, I can trip over a kickboard or something and push Nagisa-senpai! That way, he'll fall right into Rei-senpai's arms and-"_

_"Step one will be a success!" Asako finished his partner-in-crime's sentence hurriedly, countenance sparkling with hope. It was so well thought out that they couldn't fail. Then, after that, it was only a matter of time and careful planning before their next procedure. Asako subconsciously bit his lip, pondering the existence of other romantic schemes they could practice._

_"You're doing it all wrong."_

_"Hideki-san, how-"_

_"You need to push_ Rei-senpai _instead."_

_The tranquil night had only a few breaths to compose itself before the swingset erupted with noise, making the moon overflow with secrets._

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"Hideki-kun, Asako-kun, you will be practicing the 100m breast under Nagisa-kun's supervision. If he sees fit, paddles will be added into your training regimen as of today. Please do not fall behind! As for-"

"Fuji-chan! You get to train with Rei-chan!" The curly-headed blond piped up, cherry pink eyes wide, "Don't have too much fun! Then, after, we'll all group up for some times. Alright, hurry up!" he finished theatrically, sending a wink in his co-captain's direction (which did  _not_ go unnoticed by Asako) before clapping his hands together and rushing to the edge of the pool.  _  
_

"N-Nagisa-kun! You'll slip, be careful!" The bespectacled swimmer's face was flustered with worry, his violet eyes strictly following the motion of the other third year. Luckily, Nagisa was quick on his feet, and didn't fall victim to the already-wet pavement he stood on.

Still, Asako could feel his teeth rotting from their sweetness. 

Fujitaka stifled a bubbling giggle from beside them, partially silenced by Rei clearing his throat and leading the olive-haired teen off to the opposite end of their pool. They wasted no time into getting into their own lane, slipping on their goggles, and beginning practice.

But Hideki and Asako were being supervised by  _Nagisa_. So it took them approximately 10 minutes longer to start training- after a tangent from the older boy on the importance of eating four meals a day  _and_ getting in a healthy dose of Iwatobi Cream Bread. It was a wonder he wasn't 20 pounds heavier.

The platinum eyed boy teen elbowed Hideki gently in the side as their blond captain was distracted, reminding his comrade of the fact that he couldn't mention anything of their plan, and also that he was  _ridiculously_ blind for not seeing their daily flirtatious escapades.

Due to the bold task that lay in front of them, Asako couldn't help but feel a slight drag in their practice. Usually things were fast-paced and exhausting, yet Nagisa seemed to go easy on them, and the tall swimmer's mind was elsewhere to begin with. His brunet teammate seemed to be unplagued by such worries, though, and made some serious improvements over the course of their coaching. 

The only thing Asako focused on was each shout or yell that passed between Nagisa and Rei, or how they briefly conjoined during a break and the blond slung himself over the buoy line and was in _extremely_ close proximity to his 'friend'. 

In one moment the first year even caught a skeptical glare flicker over Gou's visage, followed by the girl whispering something to an intrigued Amakata Miho. Hope rose briefly in Asako's throat that, if it came to it, they would be able to seek the redhead's opinion on the matter. Unfortunately, it was just an assumption, and the swimmer was not so confident in the possibility of her alliance. The club would talk about it later.

Despite the seemed longevity of actually swimming, the end of their practice came too quickly, and Asako found himself unprepared for their first stunt. Fujitaka, on the other hand, seemed all too willing; nearly vibrating in line as the captains spoke. 

Rei held Gou's carefully crafted regimen in his hands, Nagisa at his side, as the two read off the times of each team member and their upcoming schedule for the approaching meet. 

None of that really mattered, though.

Asako hung behind afterwards, nearly forcing his brunet friend to stay as well, as the other team members filed back to the locker room. (There was one second year and his friend, yet the first years didn't see fit to include them in their club just  _yet_ ).

Rei and Nagisa stood near the edge of the pool, a prime location, the taller of the two's face flushed with color as the blond said something playful and stuck his tongue out. 

Fujitaka lingered behind them, going unnoticed by their captains as each had a loving gaze completely locked on the other. The fern haired boy rocked back and forth on his heels hesitantly, and after a nervous thumbs-up from Asako, opened his mouth with a breath and stepped forward.

Things only went downhill from there.

As soon as his foot landed on the prop (a kickboard that Hideki had 'accidentally' left near the starting blocks) the swimmer  _legitimately fell,_ tumbling forward with zero grace and barreling full-force into Rei's back. 

It was only supposed to be a little tap.

The taller captain let out a surprised yelp, tipping face-down and crashing into Nagisa, who let out a flustered, "Rei-chan!" Fujitaka had gone with the pair as well, disappearing in a flash of olive-green hair and flailing limbs. 

The blond third year was the first to hit the water, losing his balance after being clambered on-to by Rei, and simply fell stiffly onto his side as if he had gone straight as a board. The bespectacled teen, however, had no such calmness to his descent- and tumbled head-first off the side of the pavement after slapping a grabbing hand on the diving block. 

Crystalline water erupted from their impact, dappling the cement with grey wetness and looking quite like an elegant fountain. 

Hideki was the first to react, the brunet rushing forward with an annoyed, "Dammit, Asako!" The taller first year was only a few beats behind, and he let out a choking gasp and rushed to the pool's side.

Fujitaka was blushing as red as a crisp apple, face in his hands, and luckily nobody seemed to be harmed. Rei scrambled back and forth between his two teammates, hair mussed wildly, as Nagisa simply laughed at his fretting and consoled the two, panicked swimmers.

"Oi! Are you all okay?" the chocolate-eyed boy nearly shouted, disturbed at the gigantic clamor that had escalated from their little 'trip'. 

Fujitaka didn't respond, clearly embarrassed of his own failure in the face of romance. 

Nagisa, on the other hand, was quick to jump to the response, "Ah! Of course, Hideki-chan! We just tripped is all."

"Tripped?! More like fell! T-that was... so not beautiful." the bespectacled captain dropped his voice to a whisper, ashamed by the display that had just taken place.

"Rei-chan, don't be so grumpy! We're fine, right?" the cheerful blond chirped, unknowingly slapping his hand against the rippling pool surface and sending a splash in his co-captain's direction.

Rei held up his arm for appropriate defense, yet only caught the trail end of Nagisa's accidental assault, probably due to his lack of glasses.

The petite captain let out a worried squeak, and immediately began searching for the scarlet-colored pair upon seeing Rei's blurry violet eyes. The nearly blind swimmer could only wave his hands haphazardly over the water, a furiously nervous blush tinging his cheeks and ears.

Asako couldn't help but breathe a labored sigh of relief, despite the feeling of Hideki's glare hot on his back. He held out his hand to help Fujitaka out of the water, cloudy grey eyes sincere. There was always a chance in step two, right?

Step one was... somewhat much a failure.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Train rides were always calming.

The cars held a gentle sway as they sped across the countryside, each vibrant flower and sweet breeze outside blurring into a dotted portrait of earthy greens and sunset oranges. Light brimmed and pooled in a honey golden aura within the train, lining the face of a napping blond as his head rolled from Rei's shoulder and hit the window behind them.

"Wah!"

"Nagisa-kun!"

The petite third year gave his head a lethargic rub, nulling the slight pain quite quickly. His cobalt haired comrade was ready to jump to the occasion, amethyst eyes brimming with concern. 

"I'm okay, Rei-chan!" he answered quickly, sakura eyes gleaming with genuine assurance. Sometimes he could be so worrisome.

 _It_  is _cute._

Nagisa threatened to slap himself for the mental slip-up, feeling his cheeks begin to glow with peachy color. The disaster at practice with Fujitaka and Rei had reminded the carefree boy of the secret he harbored in his heart.

He had a crush on Rei-chan.

He'd known ever since his first year at Iwatobi, when they'd started to spend more time on the swim team together. Everything from the dorky way he pushed up his glasses or spouted some nonsensical theory on the angles of a perfect dive, or especially when he lay a comforting hand on Nagisa's shoulders and looked into his eyes-

_Stop._

The breaststroke swimmer bit his lip, promising to not dwell on his affections. They were comfortable now, and that was all that mattered.

"Nagisa-kun?"

"Ah! Yes, Rei-chan? What is it?"

"You're oddly quiet." The bespectacled teen observed, slightly turning his shoulders to properly face the shorter boy. Nagisa gave an all-too eager shake of his head, not really finding the strength or will to respond verbally. To his advantage, Rei simply sighed and turned back to face forward.

"Practice was fairly eventful today, huh? Fujitaka-kun has a seeming trouble with staying on steady feet." Nagisa's sakura eyes alit at hearing the amusement in his friend's voice, giving a small giggle in response and looking forward to catch a glimpse out the window. 

Part of him was sure that Rei knew of his standing. That, well, he liked him. Wether this was comforting or not was up for debate- yet for the moment Nagisa was content to observe the blur of the Iwatobi sealine, the country floral fields now giving way to a turquoise stretch of beach.

Little did he know that Rei was observing a similarly beautiful sight right next to him.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My my, this one was a lot of fun to write! (◡‿◡✿)
> 
> I would like to formally apologize for putting 'Open Waters' on hiatus because of this one, and also for using so many scene skips and weird grammar. I'm working on it hehe
> 
> Thank you all so much for the completely overwhelming support I got on the first chapter! :'D I really didn't expect it and I hope I continue to please you. (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞
> 
> I decided to make their first attempt go horribly wrong, but it won't be their worst, and I also decided to add in some PURE Reigisa for you. Maybe they'll get a little section at the end of each chapter? Anywho, see y'all at the next update! (▰˘◡˘▰)


	3. Pocketful of Poetry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing as their first step failed, the boys become determined to do anything to further their matchmaking. Yet chaos seems to protest each trial...

Asako couldn't feel his feet.

He really, truly couldn't- in fact it was a hassle to move any part of his body and, frankly, the boy couldn't tell if he even  _had_  anything still attached to him.

After their meet (and only two days after the horrible pool incident) Nagisa and Rei had decided the team deserved a 'treat' for their efforts. They had been madly training over the past week, so much that Asako no longer found excitement in the turquoise depths of the pool. Yet it was all worth it, as the relay had placed 1st in their heat and 2nd overall- while many of the team members excelled in their individual strokes.

So an ice bath was hardly a congratulations. 

"S-so c..col-dd...!" Fujitaka's chattering shattered the frigid silence in Asako's mind, and he looked over with a forced grin. The boy's teeth clacked together so disruptively that he could barely smile or speak. Rei had insisted that the ice bath would,  _'Help relieve our muscular tension and provide a sense of endurance'_ while Nagisa had chimed in a bright,  _'It'll be fun!'_

This was the exact opposite of fun.

After their meet the Iwatobi team had hustled to a nearby spa, where Gou had helpfully scheduled them an appointment. It was only a matter of minutes until all the swimmers, exhausted and just wanting to eat, were crammed into three circular vats of numbing ice and water.

The definition of an arctic hellhole, much?

There was, however, a severe lack of speaking. Asako bitterly blamed this on the ice as it blossomed cold burns across his skin and sucked the breath out of him. The charcoal eyed teen could only assume the same was assaulting everyone else. 

Such a silence gave the navy-haired boy an achingly long time to ponder his matchmaking credibility, fortunately. With the important meet and his own studies, he hadn't had a lot time to dwell on the topic, and much deliberation was needed. After their blunder with Fujitaka and the slippery fall, something effective needed to be done, and Asako decided there was no room for failure in step two.

If his eyebrows could have furrowed they would have.

Nagisa and Rei were no closer to admitting their feelings, yet the season was closer to ending day by day. If the first year was being honest, though, it was the lack of ideas that was more concerning than the lack of time. The blond and bespectacled teen had already spent two years of their lives together and hadn't professed their love. What made Asako so sure he could do it in a few months?

Feeling quite dejected, and at a creative loss, the tall swimmer slunk downwards- submerging his chin ever so slowly below the water's surface. Not that he really noticed; each frost bitten patch of skin felt the same.

"Asako-chan, you're turning blue!"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"Ah!" the petite boy gave a drawn-out sigh as they exited the salon, sakura eyes gleaming brightly, "Wasn't that refreshing?" Nagisa stretched his arms high above his head, no doubt still shaking the blood back through every appendage.

His co-captain gave a fond smile, violet eyes slightly doubtful, "I can't completely concur with that, Nagisa-kun. It was quite cold." Rei stated matter-of-factly, causing Hideki to give a slight snicker. The brunet had been oddly silent throughout their escapade, countenance placid as he simply observed everything around him. Asako sent a gentle smile his way, partly grateful for his teammate's reserved attitude.

A bump from his olive haired friend shook the boy back into the present, and his gaze immediately traveled to Nagisa and Rei. The curly haired blond was leaning contently against the bespectacled swimmer's shoulder, despite the stiffness that Rei displayed. He was too hung up on proper attitude.

A surge jolted through Asako's body as he journaled their interaction in his head, platinum eyes steady. Nagisa couldn't help but give a sunshine-bright smile as a light, pink color dusted Rei's cheeks. 

Asako wanted to throw up, or more preferably, rip his hair out in aggravation.

Hideki seemed to notice for once as well, the chocolate eyed teen shooting a pointed glance at the two. Fujitaka was unabashedly vivid with his hand motions, clinging on to his taller comrade's shoulder and gritting his teeth.

Even the second years shot them odd glances, distracted by the first years bursting at the seams.

The shorter of their two senpais gave a small jolt, holding a finger up as if in remembrance, "AH! I almost forgot," Nagisa chuckled, "the next practice will be canceled! You all deserve some rest." he announced, cherry pink eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Rei gave a silent nod next to his partner, almost as if to confirm it wasn't another one of the blond's rambling pranks.

Two days off was enough time for planning.

Definitely enough time.

Asako gave a wide smile, nearly feeling his face split, and turned to Fujitaka and Hideki deviously. That gave them a large window to plan their next attack, and to execute it perfectly, all while assuring that nothing went wrong.

The second years seemed quite energized as well, though for varying reasons.

"Alright then! That's all we have to say. Please, enjoy your time off!" Rei officially ended their gelid excursion, pushing his scarlet glasses further up his nose.

It was a noticeable habit that Asako could only fantasize Nagisa thought adorable.

As the two captains gave a wave, the short blond actually jumping towards the curb and ignoring Rei's safety hazard shouts, the first years gathered and prepared to leave.

Fujitaka was still rubbing his hands together, dispelling the cold from them, and the brunet's face had a certain veil of distraction over it.

"You know what this means?" Asako chimed loudly, snapping both his friends to attention, "We have more time to plan for step two!"

Fujitaka pumped a fist in the air, a wickedly excited smile on his face, "All right all right! Listen, I have so many ideas! We could send them on a date together, write notes, get Rei-senpai to get Nagisa-senpai some ice cream, or we could even talk to Gou-senpai about-"

"Fujitaka-san! That's a great idea!"

"Huh?"

"Writing notes!" Asako simply beamed, grey eyes wide with elation. A slight summer breeze passed through the trio, reminding them that they probably had to start moving. The teammates had decided to gather up and plan after their meet anyway, and the cancellation of practice just gave them more time.

Hideki began walking first, leaving the ecstatic pair behind him to fawn over their romantic ideas. The fern haired swimmer grabbed Asako by the hands, pulling him after their brunet friend and nearly tripping over his own feet.

The sky vibrantly pulsed overhead, and the golden sun was only disturbed by a few pulls of sugary, wispy white clouds. Promise seemed to linger upon the warm air and Asako felt another adrenaline rush.

"Think about it. If we write love notes from one to the other, and leave little gifts, they'll eventually get curious, right? Then they'll have to talk to each-other about it. We could even get a confession out of this one, I think." He elaborated, willpower and optimism skyrocketing hand-in-hand.

"Genius! This'll totally work! In those love advice shows my sister watches, they always say it's easier to put your thoughts out on paper. And chocolates, too! Chocolates as a gift are very romantic." Fujitaka weighed in, starry countenance completely ambitious as he spitballed off Asako's opinion.

Hideki stayed silent, caramel colored eyes trained on the brick path in front of them.

"We'd have to pick up some stationary from the store, and... oh! The candies, too." Asako began tallying everything in his mind, running a hand through his oceanic hair as if it would engrain the list into his brain.

"What flavor do they like? And who should we give the chocolate to? Ah, I've never written a love letter!" 

"EH?" their nearly silent friend exclaimed, expression wildly surprised. Asako and Fujitaka nearly jumped in unison.

"You've never written a love letter? Or... at least practiced?" Hideki asked, brash voice becoming increasingly nervous as the other two of the trio simply stared. A furious blush painted the brunet's cheeks, "I-it's c-completely normal!" He held his hands up as if to shield the embarrassment.

After a brief moment of quiet, Asako burst into laughter, feeling his eyes burn and stomach start to twinge in pain, "H-Hidek-ki you... you can't b-be serious!" Soon their petite friend joined in with the jest, not trying to hide his amusement. "Maybe we'll have to make you in charge, then!"

"I would never help you, moron!"

"Then teach us! Teach us, please Hideki-san! Teach us!" Fujitaka piped up, boyish voice slightly forceful as he nearly hopped in front of the brunet and pleaded for his guidance.

It was almost a nostalgic moment as the sun beat against their backs and they waited for the third member's approval.

Hideki stopped walking, and pressed his fingers firmly against his temples in agitated deliberation.

"Fine. But-"

"Yay!"

"-but you have to do what I say. Let's buy the supplies and then we'll work."

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Asako popped a grape into his mouth, lingering for a moment on the sensation of the skin bursting under his teeth and a sweet juice filling his mouth. They had been working for about an hour on a  large set of letters for Rei and Nagisa, and the little purple fruit seemed extremely hydrating.

Fujitaka's hands gave a loud  _SLAP!_ as he leaned forward on the table, overwhelmed by the cramping pain in his knuckles and the fact that his brain was fried by gushing, sappy words.

Their brunet friend, on the other hand, was as focused as ever- tapping his pencil silently against his pursed lips in thought.

Writing love letters was  _much_ more difficult than they'd previously thought. Trying to find a starting point was even more difficult.

They had eventually come up with Nagisa's initial note, which read  _'Rei-chan, you are the most beautiful thing! ♥'_ in bright pink lettering and was very cheesy and simple yet they were first year high-schoolers with no scope for deep, heartfelt words of love.

After scrapping many drafts and trying different stationaries, (Fujitaka's favorite was the pale blue one with white, glittery waves) they had amassed a small mound of folded papers, which Asako had accidentally fallen into and scattered everywhere at one point.

As the contemplative brunet tried to get his romantic mindset into gear, their excitable friend simply rolled off the table and splayed himself out against the ground, eyes shut in exhausted reflection.

Asako was simply dead-set on consuming as many grapes as possible. This was in tandem with tying delicately wrapped chocolates to each letter with a polka-dotted, red bow- of course.

"Oi, what do you think of this?  _'We should venture on an ice cream rendez-vouz. Anything else would be illogical!"_

"Ugh, Hideki-san, you're trying too hard. Rei-senpai doesn't sound that ridiculous!" Fujitaka wined, moving just so that he could prop himself up and peer at the chocolate haired boy.

"Eh? Well at least I'm trying." he shot back hastily, crumpling the butterfly-patterned paper and tossing it behind him.

The frustration had started to wear on their group, to which Asako held up his hands apologetically, "Now, now! There's no need to be angry. Hideki, Fujitaka-san is right, that letter is horrible. But! It doesn't mean we can't take a break and then keep trying." he offered a slightly pressured smile, grey eyes shining pleadingly. They had to focus on their goal, and fighting wasn't going to help anyone.

The brunet sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Fine with me! We should get something to eat!" Fujitaka piped up all of a sudden, the fern haired boy's eyes gleaming like two stars. A lot of him reminded Asako of Nagisa, in a way.

_A lot of him reminded Asako of Nagisa!_

"W-wait! Fujitaka-san, what would you say? To someone you loved?" 

"Hm... probably something like this!" the boy scrawled down a set of words on paper, "Why do you ask?"

"Bingo!"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Rei ducked his head down to avoid his blond companion from slapping him in the face, just as the petite swimmer was flailing his limbs around madly. He always tended to get excited, the violet eyed teen noted, whenever they set up to Skype Haruka and Makoto.

It was only reasonable, seeing as they had spent a lot of time together, but Rei couldn't help but be thrown off by his friend's enthusiasm.

It was quite endearing, too. Cute.

The boy blushed furiously at this thought, pushing his glasses nervously up his nose and  _praying_ that Nagisa hadn't noticed. Luckily for him, the captain was readying a bowl of freshly-popped popcorn and snuggling back into his covers.

The two had decided to spend the night together, seeing as practice had been canceled on their day off from school. So when better to keep in-touch with their senpais?

"Ah! Rei-chan! I got it!" Nagisa yelped excitedly, his voice bringing the bespectacled swimmer out of his thoughts. He didn't notice that the laptop screen had blossomed into a sky blue color, and the ring tone had bubbled through the speakers, alerting them that Makoto and Haru were calling.

The boy eagerly slapped the button, and in a short amount of time a fuzzy yet functioning video of Haru and Makoto buzzed on-screen.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!"

"Makoto-senpai! Haruka-senpai!"

The third years nearly shouted as the audio began to work, their eyes brimming with glittering emotion. It had already been a month, and they tried to keep in-touch, but doing so was quite hard.

"Nagisa, Rei!"

"Nagisa, Rei."

Ah. Neither of them had changed. Makoto was still there with his upturned eyebrows and kind voice, while Haru barely offered a grin with those oceanic eyes of his. Part of it immensely comforted Rei, as it felt like nothing was different. They were all content.

He barely had time to notice that the Tokyo pair was sitting much closer to each-other than usual.

"How's the swim club?"

"Good! The other day, one of our first years pushed me and Rei-chan into the pool!"

"Ah, is that so?"

They spent the next few hours chatting excitedly with Haruka and Makoto, a majority of the time reserved for catching up on school and the professional swimming track. It wasn't until much later that they had to end the call, and Rei received a text from Haruka.

The captain's screen lit a pale white, and he slid it open, trying to avoid Nagisa's grabby reach as the boy clambered for his attention. Rei had to smile at that.

A text immediately blinked on-screen, reading  _'are you and nagisa finally dating?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this one seemed uneventful at all, I promise the next chapter won't be! I have a lot planned ^^
> 
> I also don't mean to skimp out on the Makoharu Skype at the end, but it's late at night and I'm tired, but didn't want to wait to get this chapter out. ;____; Sorry! There'll be more of that in the future for sure.
> 
> Prepare your bodies for a LOT of fluff and misunderstanding next week! ;D
> 
> And I would like to give an IMMENSE thank you for the completely overwhelming response! I love your kudos and comments and notes and it just makes my day! <333


	4. Little Red Bike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei and Nagisa decide to practice some recreational activities on their day off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do a little PURE Reigisa side-chapter, and initiate some conflict. Hope you enjoy!

Nagisa had been pointedly picking at his strawberry cake, enjoying the bend of the spongy treat, when a sudden shiver ran down his spine.

He knew that feeling.

"Rei-chan!" the bubbly blond proclaimed suddenly, standing up and knocking his seat against the floor with a loud clack. The bespectacled teen opposite him nearly choked on his melon bread, sputtering and flustered as he moved to adjust his glasses back up.

"N-Nagisa-kun! What is it?" Rei asked, violet eyes as intense as amethysts. It must've been a fairly important topic if Nagisa had so  _rudely_ interrupted their peaceful dining.

"Rei-chan, I got it again!" the captain pouted loudly, cherry pink eyes wide with distress, "The feeling! There's no mistaking it this time, Rei-chan! We have to go!" Nagisa announced, completely ignoring the succulent cake that lay in front of him.

If Nagisa was ignoring his food, then it must've been a real hunch.

The navy-haired swimmer stood up in near tandem, though maybe with not as much grace, eyebrows curved in a slightly skeptical position, "Nagisa-kun, there is no such thing as supernatural powers. You can't-"

"Rei-chan I'm serious!" The petite blond rushed forward before his friend could speak, clasping their hands together with an overly determined facade. He knew it was serious, and he totally knew he wasn't crazy! It was the same shivering, slithery sensation that had passed through him before Fujitaka pushed them into the pool. Although he wanted to trust the first years with every fiber of his being, the trio was up to something, and were sure to be scheming on their day off.

"We have to find them!" 

"Nagisa-kun, no. There's no practice or school today, I'm sure they'd like to relax. And I'm sure you're just overreacting." The taller of the two gave a dismissive wave of his hand, though his expression was sincere. Sometimes Nagisa's 'hunches' led to a lot of trouble- and Rei would rather not do something so rash as to drive their first years away from the swim club.

Yet his reasoning was to no avail, and the other captain gave a shake of his head- sakura eyes gleaming with sincerity. No matter how much he loved Rei-chan, there was no way he'd let the logical side of their duo get away with this one. Action needed to be taken.

"Rei-chan, c'mon! Hurry up, hurry up!" Nagisa lunged forward without so much as a warning sign, prompting a squawking shriek from his target, and the blond gave a mighty pull against his much-more-muscled-and-taller friend. 

There was a part of Rei, though, that had to give in to Nagisa's escapades. A brief smile passed over the bespectacled boy's face, and he let up a bit of his own slack to let the curly-headed blond tug him along. They had stopped to share a sweet bite at a local bakery shop, near Rei's home, and had already payed for their food (thank the heavens, or they would have been in huge trouble after dining and dashing)- leaving no more escape routes. A bright punch of golden sunlight met the two as they barreled out of the store, nearly knocking over a young women who clung to a pulling dog and crying baby. 

Both boys managed to let out a garbled, "Sorry!" before Nagisa pulled the pair down a different street, Rei making no greater effort to stop his friend. A warm wind surged at their back as they fumbled along the sidewalk, the taller of the two making an effort to keep his glasses on, and the sidelines blurred into streaks and smudges of dirty emerald foliage.

"Nagisa-kun!  _Please_ tell me where we are going!" The navy haired swimmer rushed, voice cracked with haste as the distance between them and the shop increased rapidly.

"Glad you asked, Rei-chan! We're finding Asako-chan and the rest, of course!" The troublesome blond spared enough of his focus to angle a wink over his shoulder at Rei, causing the teen in tow to flash a bright shade of crimson across his cheeks. Rei lifted a hand to muster it, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, yet found he was running too fast and simply poked himself in the eye.

Ouch.

Within no time (or a large amount of time, neither could really tell) the pair reached their destination, signified by an energetic Nagisa simply screeching to a halt and almost causing Rei to run face-first into the pavement.

"Ta-dah!"

Perfectly obscuring the dazzling glare of the white-hot sun stood a simple building, dressed in faded tan bricks and tufts of emerald grass and vine. Metal stands with their forest-green paint chipped away bordered either side of the modest place, each holding a few casual bikes.

Nagisa didn't hesitate to grab Rei by the hand again, and dragged the taller boy into the store against his protests. The swimmer made sure to wear a bright smile on his face as he made his way to the counter, maroon eyes sparkling with curious interest.

A middle-aged man stood behind the glass-faced bar, balding on top of his head, and Rei immediately felt an impending sense of guilt for disrupting his otherwise-peaceful workday with a ball of penguin-loving sunshine in tow.

"Ah, Nagisa, back again?"

"Mhm!"

_Back again!?_

"Ah, would you like the usual? I got that one bike you seem to like."

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Nagisa had learned to ride a bike at a very young age.

His parents, irked by his fatigue after running to swim practice as a young boy, had made a point to teach their little blond child all the key aspects of riding a bike. Of course, he hadn't really carried that into his daily routine, but it was still a nice sentiment to hold on to- and often times he rode around the seaside of Iwatobi when stress started to weigh down on him.

But, unfortunately, he was smaller than Rei- and so the cobalt haired captain was stuck with the lead on their vessel.

It was a short trip from their side of the village to where Asako lived, and Nagisa predicted the perpetrators would be crowded in his residence (no doubt planning something totally diabolical). Due to this the journey wouldn't be too bad, but they still had to make it.

Rei's knuckles had turned near-white as he gripped the bike's handles for dear life, seated rather uncomfortably, and began to slowly pump his legs back and forth.

"Let's go, Rei-chan!" The blond gave a bright yelp, leaning over the other boy's shoulder. The red bike, with its cute scarlet coat of paint, had been the model that the man was specifically saving for his 'favorite regular', and it wasn't much to rent for a bit, but the only problem was its lack of a second seat. Luckily Nagisa was light enough to perch on the derailer that poked out of the rear wheel. Yet, he couldn't stay up from his own balance, and precariously slung one arm over Rei's shoulder and chest as the two set off.

Nagisa would be lying if he said his friend's warm presence against his arm  _didn't_ make him blush.

As quickly as they could, the two captains were already rounding the first corner- the sun smiling sweet against their faces as warm summer breezes tickled their backs. It was more than once that Nagisa had to reach a hand behind his head and stop his turquoise beanie from slipping off and being lost forever, yet he really didn't mind.

Iwatobi was always beautiful at that particular time of year, as the grassy fields erupted into splatters of pastel flowers and the sky seemed a brighter blue than ever. Few clouds drifted across the above, and when they did, they brought playfully light rains- and did little to mar the upbeat summer mood. 

This was another one of those gloriously pleasant days, and Nagisa couldn't help but let out a woop of joy as Rei smiled silently to himself and their little red bike took another gradual turn.

It had taken a little bit to convince the bespectacled teen to actually  _drive_ the bike, Nagisa admitted, but now he couldn't be happier that things had worked out.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°ONLY A LITTLE EARLIER☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

_"Nagisa-kun, there is no way that I would ever ride the bike. Not only is it an inconvenient form of travel compared to the train, yet it is... not beautiful."_

_The blond couldn't help but throw a pout, burgundy eyes wide as he pleaded to his friend, "Rei-chan, please! With your skill, you can make anything look beautiful!" Nagisa chimed brightly, adapting a slightly sincere blush to his cheeks._

_If that didn't prevail, he could always nuzzle into Rei's shoulder until his skin got sore and he gave in. That worked, too._

_The bespectacled boy fought to hide a pink tinge that crept across his face, pushing his red-rimmed glasses up further. Typical Rei-chan._

_"You really think so?"_

_"Of course!" The boy nodded vigorously, curled hair bouncing up and down with the motion. He would do whatever it took to convince him that this was the right path! His hunch had never been wrong before. Besides, it was all worth it if he meant he got to flatter-tease Rei, if even for a little._

_"All right then!"_

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

They were nearing Asako's house at this point, and seemed to be enjoying the comforting silence that spread between them (which was occasionally broken by a spirited yell from Nagisa). Rei was more focused than ever, quite hyper-aware of the fact that he had a blond ball of sunshine behind him and if he made the slightest error then some harm could come to his friend.

The silence also gave him a moment to ponder the meaning of the word 'friend' when concerning him and Hazuki Nagisa.

There was no doubt that Rei felt non-platonic whims towards the petite swimmer. Wether the feeling was mutual was a complete mystery, but he did know that the way Nagisa had burst into his life as a smiling, determined ball of light was completely changing- and he couldn't imagine where he'd be without him. The boy held a certain aura to him that kept Rei completely under a spell.

Oops.

So it was partly bewildering and partly a strange surge of hope when the bespectacled boy had received a text from Haruka after their Skype call, asking if the two were dating. Haru had a way of dealing with things not-so-sensatively, so to say Rei had become a sputtering mess after the message was a pretty reasonable reaction.

No, they weren't dating. But it brought many questions to mind; ones that Rei preferred to reserve for answering when he _wasn't_ riding a bike down a hill.

They came over a slight crest in the pavement, and met a thin alley- bordered by small and modest houses on either side. 

"Rei-chan! Through here!" 

"T-That's ridiculous!"

"Onward, Rei-chan!"

The bespectacled teen furrowed his brows in concentration, figuring it was useless to give up, and instead pedaled harder with oh-so-calculated precision. The little red bike flew easily through the narrow corridor, but it didn't stop Nagisa from wrapping both of his arms around Rei's chest and slightly rocking the rhythm of their ride.

Once the pair emerged again, the curly haired blond let go, and gave himself a moment to soak in the sunshine. They had gotten past the slightly crowded streets of Iwatobi, and were headed down a small country path towards Asako's neighborhood. Similarly to the scenery of before, clusters of flowers and tufted ocean grasses cloaked the ground in front of them, carrying a salty sea scent mixed with floral sunshine. It was wonderful and magical and exhilarating, and a few scatters of dandelions puffed their fairy-like seeds out in a path behind the bike's tires.

It would've been nicer if that moment lasted a little longer, but a passing butterfly distracted the attention of the cobalt haired rider.

Rei took one sidelong glance at a violet-splotched butterfly with wings tipped by cream, and nearly immediately veered to the right. 

Unfortunately, their little red bike couldn't stomach a little off-roading.

Nagisa's initially unsteady grip on the back wheel of the bike came loose, causing him to nearly fly sideways- while his bespectacled friend managed to keep his stay and ride the bike down a gravely bed of foliage.

"Nagisa-kun?"

When there was no reply, Rei nearly gave himself a heart attack- breath furiously rasped as he glanced over his shoulder and saw a perky little blond kid with his usually-bright facade downcast. The swimmer ran to his friend's side, closing the short distance much faster than any normal human being would, and nearly crashed to the ground beside the other captain.

"Nagisa-kun! Are you okay?"

A laugh was all he got in response. Bright and chiming and lively as if it were all good and nothing had happened to deter his unlimited energy.

Scrapes, threatening to bubble with light dustings of blood, criss-crossed over the boy's knees and a slight gash stung beneath his eye. 

His seemingly-fine state, despite the minor injuries, did nothing to stop Rei from descending into a flurry of worry and nothing less than a mess, "This is all my fault! You're hurt, Nagisa-kun and- I'm so sorry! Here, get up. We'll get you to Asako-kun's house and be sure to clean everything up and-"

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan, I'm fine." the boy choked out, nearly inaudible between his giggling fits, a bright gleam returning to his brilliantly maroon eyes.

Nagisa moved to get to his feet by himself, to which Rei absurdly protested, and slung the boy's arm over his shoulder hastily. All of this was completely unnecessary, and a little silly, but no matter how much the blond struggled against his protector's help there was no use. Rei was ridiculously determined to 'heal his broken friend'. 

A few scrapes was no matter, but Nagisa also... he didn't mind the attention.

After some awkward hobbling and further squawks and laughs of bubbling objections, the two arrived at Asako's doorstep and Rei rang it loud and clear.

"Hello, who- Nagisa-senpai?! Rei-senpai?!" Fujitaka's mouth hung open wide as the paled swimmer met his two captains at the door, countenance of bland surprise.

"EH? FUJI-CHAN! I KNEW IT!" 

Nevermind the 'injuries', Nagisa was going to get to the bottom of their shenanigans. His hunch had been right so far!

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is quite OOC???  
> I don't know D;  
> Tell me if it is, please. I hit a bit of a writer's block on this one and I'm not too happy with it- but I needed to write some pure Reigisa out of my system and get the story moving so yeah.  
> I love hearing from you guys- so make sure to comment! and visit me at littleladysugar.tumblr.com  
> until next time!


	5. Oh No!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say that trying to hide around one hundred love notes from the people you've written them about isn't that easy of a task- especially when concerning Hazuki Nagisa.

Whatever speculations the boys had held of what may have been at their door, a scuffed up Nagisa and sweating Rei was not one of them.

Oh my  _god._

Asako had been lazily rolling his pencil back and forth, tongue stuck mockingly out of his mouth, as an aggravated brunet next to him scolded the swimmer on his inability to write. The trio had been at their matchmaking for a while, and Fujitaka had actually reached a point of pride where he didn't care that he was writing in pink ink on penguin-patterned paper. Yet the commotion at the door had shattered their progress, and what barged through next was even worse.

_"Asako-san, watch out!"_

A slightly faint voice rang from the far reach of the hallway, from a frantic olive haired teen, and Hideki's caramel eyes went wide with panic. Fujitaka was one for teasing, yet he seemed completely serious- which was their second sign something was wrong- their first indication being the boyish shout they had heard from earlier (belonging to a certain blond captain).

The navy haired first year snapped to attention, as if someone had run an electric current through him, and nearly stabbed himself in the stomach on the edge of the low table. His slightly mellower- yet not at all calm- teammate darted upwards and tripped over his own feet, crashing head-first into a nearby wastepaper basket. Paper, of all pastel and vomit-inducing-lovey-dovey colors, flew into the air like sickening confetti. Asako let out a garbled shriek before lurching forward on the ground, aiming for his flailing friend, but then it hit his ears.

"Asako-chan?! What are you doing?!"

"N-Nagisa-kun! This is beyond rude!" 

Both boys froze, breath held, as if they were in a mine field. 

Nagisa and Rei were headed their way, and the only thing that stood in-between the captains and tens of notes about them was a thin hallway and scrambling Fujitaka.

"Quick, Asako, help me!" the brunet managed to choke out, voice dangerously loud, which only made the pace of the footsteps outside increase. The grey eyed swimmer gave a nod, already feeling cold sweat begin to drip down his neck, and shot forward to pull Hideki backwards and fill the wastepaper basket with every scrap on the floor.

He moved like lightning.

Nagisa burst through the door to his room, sakura pink eyes bright, mouth hung open. Rei was not too far behind, and Fujitaka near the pair, both of them looking quite exhausted.

The cobalt haired teen had been scooping up the last crumpled note, and acted faster than he ever had, and stuck the crinkled wad of paper into his mouth.

Asako chewed the love note.

He chewed the love note.

Rei almost looked like he was going to run away, face flushed with fear as a certain cloud passed over his scarlet-rimmed glasses.

The younger boy couldn't find it in his heart to swallow it, so simply let the paper roll out of his mouth, and a blush furiously tinged his cheeks.  _Asako, do you realize that you just attempted to eat parchment in front of your senpais?_

He heard a stifled laugh from Hideki, now that the teen had recovered his head from the trash bin, and his other partner in crime simply slipped into the room with a shameful air of shade.

"What is going on here, Asako-kun?" their taller captain sputtered, bringing a hand to adjust his glasses somewhat shakily.

Luckily for the boy still crouched on the floor, the brunet jumped to the case, "We were writing notes, Rei-senpai."

_What?!_

"Hideki-chan, what notes? I must know!" Nagisa rushed forward, almost sending his fellow third year backwards, with a certain gold glimmer within his mischievous maroon eyes.

"From Momo-san to Gou-senpai, of course."

The other young members let out a tentative breath of relief in unison, earning a deathly glare from their savior, and turned to Nagisa with baited breath. Rei, easily readable and very done with his friend's accusations, seemed satisfied enough- yet unfortunately the blond captain waited in silence.

Nagisa settled back after a very awkward pause of quiet, his round face scrunched in a skeptical pout, eyes locked completely on Hideki. The brunet didn't even spare on flinch under the older swimmer's watch.

"Eh?! Are you sure?" the boy burst when he was done contemplating, hands clutched at his chest, "I could've sworn I had a hunch." Nagisa tipped his head to the side with disappointed annoyance, eyes closed in thought, "Rei-chan, do you believe them?"

"Well of course. It seems only logical that Momo-kun would be after Gou-san's affections. But why he asked our team to do it-"

It was Fujitaka to jump to the post at this point, round eyes sparkling, "Ah, that doesn't matter! Hideki-san must've told him how amazing we are at it. Hey, Nagisa-senpai, are you okay? You looked a little scratched up! What happened?" the boy's flurry of questions came so rapidly that Rei seemed slightly astounded, the swimmer's tone fast enough that all that came out was a smear of inquiries. 

Now that it was mentioned, it came to the first year's attention that light criss-crosses of scarlet were smattered across the blond's elbows and knees. A fleck of dirt even smudged across his pale face.

Nagisa brought a tentative hand to his cheek, smile slightly bashful, "We fell off a bike. I guess I'm not that careful, hm?" 

Rei almost rolled his violet eyes, arms now crossed over his chest, "Nagisa-kun, it was my fault- technically speaking. I should have slowed down across that hill. Besides, I insisted that you get medical attention and now we're just wasting time." despite the admonishment, there was a certain softness to the captain's voice that made Asako's heart clench.

Going off the pained gleam in Fujtaka's eyes he was experiencing the same pressure.

It was amazing the way that the two dealt with each-other. Asako could only imagine a time when Nagisa's theatrics were too much for the bespectacled teen, and he could only imagine what the beginning of their friendship was like. The blond talked about the beginnings of their club a lot, yet never the beginning of their relationship. Asako pictured it as quite perfect- almost like love at first sight.

Haha.

"Do you need something? I think I have a few bandaids in the medicine cabinet." the tallest of the three first years stood up, grateful for the change in subject and the fact that there was no longer a wad of paper stuffed between his teeth.

Asako led the way out of his room, leaving Hideki behind with the two hyperactive shorties, as Rei trailed lightly behind him. If they could get through patching up the petite captain and ignore the potential of romance looming over their heads, everything would be fine.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Ever since her brother had gone to Australia, Gou had felt extremely lonely. She had experienced the same sadness, though in a lesser degree, on his first trip overseas- but something about this time was different. He was starting a life, gone for months at a time with no communication, and here she was in Iwatobi.

The only interesting thing that had happened in the past month was swim season starting up again.

And, with a lack of Rin and his childhood friends (and that older Mikoshiba), it gave the redheaded manager much more time to contemplate the situation of a certain blond boy and navy haired boy. 

She could tell, through a special sense of intuition, that the first years of their flourishing team had had the same notion. So now the crimson eyed teenager sat at the doorstep of her highschool with a determined visage.

Since practice that day had been canceled, she had arranged to meet with Amakata Miho- and it wasn't pertaining to the new financial plan of their national grade club. It had something more to do with a budding romance that had never fully blossomed.

The sound of kitten heels against the dry pavement alerted Gou that her teacher was arriving, and the girl gave a formal greeting before rising to her feet. Amakata held a lacy parasol between her hands, different from her usual one at practice, and Gou couldn't help but smile. 

"What is it, Matsuoka-kun?" 

It was past unusual to ask the woman to meet outside of school, despite their closeness and Amakata's status as their club sponsor. Just thinking of it made Gou nervous, and she clasped her hands together before all the words rushed out.

"Ama-chan-sensei! I think that we really need to get Rei-kun and Nagisa-kun to date. I know we said that love could weaken either of them, but they've been in love with each-other for so long and- I just can't believe it!" she breathed, eyebrows knitted with concern.

Miho closed her eyes quietly, a ghost of a smile passing pleasantly over her face, "Matsuoka-kun, I can tell you're serious about this. A wise man once said, 'To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.'" she held up a slender finger, "Are you sure about Hazuki-kun and Ryugazaki-kun?"

Gou nodded furiously.

The woman simply nodded back, though it was less violent, a curl of auburn hair pulling down her cheekbones, "Alright then. I can see your motivation. And I think we should try our best."

The redhead had to actively avoid her jaw from hanging wide open, scarlet eyes sparkling with relieved disbelief. She would be the best matchmaker Iwatobi had ever seen!

Amakata gave a youthfully mischievous wink, "Besides, what's the problem if it's the right thing to do?"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

The boys all huffed out their relief in one simultaneous breath, eyes closed exhaustedly. Nagisa and Rei had  _finally_ went out the door after much coaxing, and ushered out of Asako's house had been a bandaged blond and quite tired butterfly boy. 

"Ah, that was close." the olive haired boy pouted, hanging his head between his hands as he slumped down along the wall. The sun had begun to set at this point and cast geometric panes of yellow light across the floor, making everything alive yet lethargic. Their day off was almost over.

At the rate they were going, it was hard to be successful in matchmaking and the future didn't look too bright.

There was a weary pause of silence before Hideki spoke gently, "They were together."

Asako looked up from where he was leaning against the wall, eyes widening slightly. Fujitaka perked up, too.

"When they came to the house. They were together."

The realization of it hit the cobalt haired boy like a truck.

"Our plan is working,"

"No, it just means th-"

"That our plan  _can_ work!" Fujitaka piped up, all of a sudden risen from his place against the crook of the hallway. His face was flushed with the potential of excitement, "At least they still talk to each-other! And now we know they're okay with spending a lot of time alone! This is so amazing!"

The atmosphere of their modest trio sizzled and cracked with electric anticipation, and even Hideki seemed slightly energized. 

"We have to keep going! Even past the notes and chocolates. Oh! Oh!"

Asako turned to his friend with glittering eyes, a slight blush across his face, "What is it?"

"A game! Like, at a party or meeting. I've always heard stories of couples getting together because they kiss by accident or are pitted against one-another. It's foolproof." So far their plans had all earned the title of invincible, initially, yet this idea actually seemed like it would work.

"Isn't that a little extreme? Getting them to kiss before they date?" The brunet's skeptical tone intruded upon their enthusiasm, his realistic way of thinking quite a damper upon the conversation. But Asako reluctantly admitted that it was needed at times, and supposed they were probably too ambitious in their thinking. But, then again, it could work and everything would be sorted out earlier than expected.

It would take a lot of planning, and the matchmaking kouhais still had to sort out their strategy on placing the love notes- but it didn't mean they couldn't foresee to a stage ahead.

Fujitaka muttered a whispering, "I'm sure they've practiced before," which did not go unnoticed by Hideki, and the chocolate eyed swimmer gave a furiously scarlet blush- proceeding to bat his friend's shoulder accusingly. 

Their discussion went on dutifully to cover their exact method on exchanging the notes, and slowly gravitated towards the direction of their next grand scheme. At that point in time Rei and Nagisa would hopefully be more aware of their lurking feelings, and it would be much easier to get the team together as a whole and set their spin the bottle into play.

Or some game along those lines.

It took a lot of gears in one clockwork to make the system work as an oiled, functioning whole. The main cogs, in the view of the Iwatobi Swim Club, were Nagisa and Rei- with Amakata Miho as their caretaker. She kept the machine under control. Gou would be the next most vital piece, which was why her participation was imperative within their third stage.

Hideki, Fujitaka, and Asako gathered outside near the train station, pressed by the creeping cold of the summerly night air and the darkness in the sky. Their breath, just light enough to show, mingled together as the three huddled in conversation.

The tallest of the trio rubbed his hands together in an effort to keep warm, yet still felt warm compared to their ice bath the former day. 

"So during school is when we'll plant each note. In the lockers, classroom, by the pool, backpacks, and... the train?"

Hideki nodded faithfully.

"Alright!" Fujitaka pumped his fists in the air, almost knocking the other boys upside their heads. He gave a fakely apologetic smile before Asako spoke, sparing him of further embarrassment. 

"We need to talk to Gou-senpai as well about arranging a team bonding event. I'm sure she'd love that, especially if we explain to her the reasoning! She's a girl, so she should be a romantic, and could help us out. And if not that- it's an obligation for the manager to keep the team within her best interests." he contributed, cloudy grey eyes thoughtful. Well, as intuitive as he could be when it felt as if his fingers had begun to that.

Soon the notes would be in place and the game would be arranged, and nothing would step in the way of their matchmaking escapade. Rei and Nagisa  _would_ be a couple by the end of the season. _  
_

That was for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you can catch the reference that these titles have been making then you go glen coco
> 
> this chapter came a lot more easily to me, and i really enjoyed writing the beginning and writing gou as well! here is where our story really starts to roll people ;D be prepared for more blunder and adventures beyond your wildest imaginations mwahaha
> 
> also i'd like to thank all of you into infinity for all the support after the past chapter, and all the sweet messages that have come my way. i'm so glad you're all enjoying reading this as much as i enjoy writing it!
> 
> I would really love some feedback so drop a comment or visit me at littleladysugar on tumblr<3 
> 
> 'till next timeeeeeeee


	6. All the Pennies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notes are scattered across the school like lost pennies, and the boys really take the next step in their plan of matchmaking. They'll make sure that this time is not a blunder!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a lot of fun writing this one.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> **Slightly longer b/c of updating later than usual.

The sky, bruised with slashes of purple and hazy blue across the fading icy stars, seemed to stare disapprovingly at Iwatobi High. 

It was early in the morning, so early that everything was still dark, and a trio of shadowy figures ran hysterically from place to place- their arms filled with pretty, patterned paper.

To make certain that their stage would not fail this time, the matchmakers had arrived at school before it opened and found their way in, (who knew Fujitaka was good at picking locks?) so they would have a safe window to hide each love note. They strategically dropped each little gift in places where they knew their captains would be: the rooftop, taped under Rei's desk, Nagisa's swim locker, the gate to the swim pool, and so on.

"Shh, Hideki, for such a stingy guy you really make a lot of noise!" Asako hissed, trying desperately to keep his voice under his breath. The grey eyed boy donned a secretive black hood, and kept low to the ground. If they were found out...

"Asako-san! Look what I did!" Fujitaka nearly yelled, his ignorantly cheerful voice bouncing off the halls. 

The navy-haired boy and his brunet companion put fingers to their mouths in unison, causing the shorter swimmer to blush and slink to the side.

Another door had been opened, this the one to....

_"Ama-chan-sensei's office?!"_

Hideki took a defiant step backwards, caramel eyes determined to stay away from the impending doom. Whenever they tried anything, especially dealing with the romance of their third years, everything went terribly wrong- and he wasn't going to risk being caught.

Fujitaka slipped through deviously and silently, and Asako could only stare helplessly at his friend staying behind. If the other student didn't want to go in, he didn't have to, but it was a vital place to attend.

Every day before practice Rei and Nagisa, along with the occasional Gou, visited their teacher's desk to speak to her about practice. They seemed close, and the troublemaking trio had no idea  _why_ they met with the brunette woman, but it was a strict routine- one sure to bring another note into play.

"Fine, then keep watch, Hideki!" 

Without another word the two slipped into the office. The pale yellow walls were streaked with the morning's darkness and Amakata's usually-friendly plants and knick knacks were clouded by shadows. Everything seemed still, creepy, and waiting to strike.

"Where should this one go, Asako-san?" The olive haired boy's question brought Asako out of his eerie observation, and he turned to see his friend holding a box of chocolates. A short note was glued to the top of it, for Nagisa from Rei, and was one of the last ones they intended to plant.

The taller teen brought a hand to his chin thoughtfully, scanning Amakata's office with the eye of a criminal. They needed to pick, as they had before, a place that was just hidden enough for only their captains to locate it.

"There," he finalized, pointing a finger towards a stack of papers that rested on the teacher's printer top. Fujitaka slipped the box between the folds of graded worksheets and the warm deck of the machine, and turned around. What he saw nearly stopped him in his tracks.

"Shimazaki-kun, Yoshida-kun, what are you doing here?" 

There stood Amakata Miho, silhouetted by the pastel aura of encroaching morning, her chocolate eyes skeptically intent and hand at her hip.

The two boys almost gulped in unison, and Asako swore he could hear his heart beating through his ears. Each pulse made his muscles tenser, and his throat clammed. What were they going to do?

After a sufficiently awkward break of silence, none of the two in question had spoken, and Hideki slipped through the parted door. He waved a quick hand of sorry, and his brunet hair appeared extremely ruffled. The mechanical glow from the hall lights let Asako know that Amakata had arrived to open up the school.

Amakata still stood, unyielding, as her gaze switched between the two perpetrators.

"Uh..ah.. Ama-chan-sensei! We were just..."

She raised an eyebrow at Asako's stuttering.

"-leaving you a gift! Before school, so it would be a surprise!" Fujitaka chimed in, eyes wide, and Hideki nearly hurt himself as he slapped a hand to his face. If they told Amakata that there was a note and box of chocolates hiding near her desk, she would surely ask to see it! And then-

"Oh? Well," the brunette gave a gentle smile, countenance warm, "I'm going to ignore the fact that you're lying, Yoshida-kun. As a wise man once said, 'A lifetime may change a delinquent into a solid citizen', yes?" Her gaze flitted over to the pink parchment sticking out from the printer's top, and simply nodded. 

She truly had no idea what the trio was up to, but believed in their goodness, and would only enact some force if they started to become truly troublesome. She was a new teacher, after all, and anything too rash could be a risk. 

Young people have to be young, after all.

Asako gave a sheepish laugh to her quote, not at all really sure what it meant, while Fujitaka's face scrunched in confused thought. It was always hard to determine Ama-chan-sensei's words.

Hideki moved out from past the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck, and gave a small wave of his hand again. They had to get out of there, fast, in order to begin getting ready for school and calming their own worries about placing the love notes. 

By the end of the day they would all be at swim practice, with their captains having found the presents, and probably hear an announcement of their new relationship.

Perfect.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Falling asleep in class was not beautiful. 

It meant potential for embarrassment, (especially based on previous occurrences of napping during school), messy hair, missed topics, and just everything bad.

So it truly perplexed Rei how he found himself stuck in this situation countless times. He had been doodling a new training regimen to review with Gou later, when he unsuspectedly slipped into the dark blanket of sleep. 

Fortunatelyfor the navy haired teen he woke quite peacefully this time, at least in his upper half,  _except_ for a randomly erratic reflex of his leg. It gave a slight jolt of shock, as if it was surprised he wasn't sleeping anymore, and made a metallic  _ping!_ against one of the desk's legs.

A bright shade of crimson illuminated Rei's cheeks and he stole a quick glance around, befuddled by his body's off behavior, and was relieved to find only a snickering Nagisa behind him who was blatantly struggling to keep in a giggle.

With a fond yet warning shake of his head, the bespectacled swimmer located his pen and began scribbling notes again.

He failed to notice a small piece of paper, folded into a heart and laced with glitter glue, that had been dislodged as he accidentally tapped the desk's underside. It lay right by his foot, the first of many attacks in the 'Matchmaking Club' book- and it wasn't until the class was over and they were dismissed for lunch that Rei leaned down to retrieve it.

"Rei-chan!" came a bright call as the captain carefully undid the parchment.

_'Are you a beaver? 'Cuz DAM_

_♥N✩'_

The dark haired boy could practically  _see_ the color of his face drain, glasses fogged by the complete idiotic and somehow endearing words he had just read- all displayed in bright gold ink across garish pink paper **and** lined with glitter.

What.

His violet eyes raised hesitantly to the beaming blond boy in front of him, who quickly sensed some sort of a discomfort in Rei's face. His own gaze shifted down to the paper he held.

"Oh, Rei-chan! What's that? Lemme see!" he stuck his tongue out mockingly, and lurched forward in the flash of an eye to grab the note. Yet Rei countered him quickly and stretched it out of Nagisa's reach, leaving the other third year to slump down on his desk in defeat. His arms simply weren't as long as the taller boy's.

"Eh? No fun, Rei-chan!" He pouted theatrically, finally pulling himself off the desk and glaring at his friend.

Rei simply adjusted his glasses to cover up for the whole falter that had just occurred, and tucked the strange message into his backpack before Nagisa could make another lunge-attack.

"It was merely nothing, Nagisa-kun. Well, shall we go eat now?"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

The trio of swimmer third-years had gathered on Iwatobi's rooftop to eat together, and Gou gave a slightly wistful sigh to the air.

Nagisa seemed to perk up right away, the perceptive boy he was, and the blond boy prodded his friend's side. 

"Gou-chan, what is it?"

The redhead sighed, and placed a thoughtful hand under her chin, "Swim season started, but it feels strange without the others- right?"

She didn't have to mention the two members that were missing from their underdog group, their names hung in the air like uncleared fog. Nagisa could sense a distinct change in Rei's visage, to which the boy moved a hand across his scarlet glasses to mask it. 

The sakura eyed captain simply gave a nod, "It is, isn't it? But Mako-chan and Haru-chan would be proud of us now!" the curly headed blond offered a slightly sad smile. He still wasn't emotionally past their departure, but seeing his friends downcast made him melancholy, and it was such a nice day!

"Look, Rei-chan! That cloud looks like a butterfly!" the boy chimed suddenly, dropping his bento to the ground in front of him and scrambling across Rei's lap to point towards the sky. Amongst a cluster of other fluffy, grey clouds drifted a slightly whiter one- bent in the middle and scattering out into two heart-shaped wings.

"Ah! Uh... I guess." the dark haired teen squinted, ignoring Nagisa clambering across his lap to try and determine the actual beauty of this cloud formation.

Gou had to hide her face because she was blushing so much.

When everyone had settled down and opened their meals, the petite boy noticed a small piece of paper fluttering near them. It was tied with a garish purple, polka-dot ribbon and secured quite loosely to one of the gate rungs surrounding the rooftop. 

He retrieved it, somewhat stealthily, and hopped behind Rei as he argued with their crimson-eyed manager over how 'beautiful'  _and_ 'nutritious' his bento was.

Nagisa stuffed the end of his pan bread into his mouth, enjoying the balance between the plain bread and lingering spouts of sweet flavor, and unfolded the paper once he sat back down.

It was a light, melon-yellow color bordered by vibrantly green butterflies and none of the colors seem to match but he admittedly thought that was pretty and began reading.

_'Your smile is more beautiful than the sun itself_

_~R'_

The blond blushed a bright shade of pink faster than lightning, nearly matching the hue that dwelled in his wide eyes, and glanced down at his fiddling hands. 

_Oh my god._

Nagisa could actually not calm himself. He talked to many people in the school, and could only assume the note was meant for him to find, but didn't know whose name started with 'R'! He was far more intelligent and determined than taken for, so figuring out the case became a gleaming priority in the boy's mind. Maybe his senses would come back! Like those weird, tingly pulses he got when Asako and the others were  _totally_ up to something.

Rei and Gou still argued in front of him, faces flushed and voices raised just barely, as the breaststroke swimmer was having an internal panic.

People didn't usually compliment him, right? Or leave him love notes- especially!

It was hard to rid his face of the blush for the whole rest of lunch.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

The navy-haired boy was at his athletic locker, grabbing his shoes, trying to rid his mind of what had happened that day.

After the perplexing piece of paper he found during class, things had only escalated. He now possessed 3 more notes, (all scribbled on with vomit-inducing colors and speaking of cheap, cheesy pick-up lines) and a sheet of glittery heart stickers to top it off. Why his strange admirer would do this, or give him glittery heart stickers, he had no idea.

He also didn't know how to feel about it.

 _Or_  who was doing it.

Rei lifted his gym shoes up, and uncovered another slip of paper. This note was slightly different than the others, and was a soothing periwinkle, smattered gold stars. The corners were folded down so it popped up like a table when he moved the shoes, which- he had to admit- was quite clever.

The bespectacled swimmer gave a nervous glance around before opening it.

_'Do you have a band-aid? Because I scraped my knee falling for you_

__♥N✩'_ _

Compared to the others, this was quite charming in the most innocent way (yet of course he kept his composure). But it didn't change the fact the Rei didn't know who was sending him colorful notes and sticker sheets.

That needed to be solved.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

_'I'll never let you get hurt_

_~R'_

Right in the middle of class, really?

What an inopportune moment to spring a pledge of protection upon a poor, flustered blond boy who was already three shades redder than he was supposed to be.

How many of these notes were there, anyway? Nagisa had already amounted 2 other scraps of parchment as well as a small, hand-sized bear with a ribbon around its fluffy neck. This was really too much.

And, of course, his ghostly intuition had failed him- and the ruffled blond was left with no clue as to what was happening. Maybe he should talk to Rei-chan...

_Oh my god._

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

_There's no way. It's... absurd! Illogical! In what universe would Nagisa-kun..._

The last note had brought to surface any lurking suspicion Rei held that the scheming blond was behind this whole, overly sweet composition. It was marked with obnoxiously cartoonish penguins and somehow scented like strawberries. 

There was nothing to stop a blush from finally creeping across his face, and Rei malfunctioned for more than a moment.

What the hell would he do?

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"Oi, Asako! Are you even listening?" 

The boy in question startled, lashing out forward to knock Hideki's hand from waving in his face any longer.

"What?" he asked, somewhat bitterly, platinum eyes stern.

"Gee, lighten up. I was just wondering if you think Rei and Nagisa are fine."

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"I don't know."

Fujitaka coughed awkwardly beside them, and the olive haired boy looked down when both of them turned their attention away from the minor fight. If everything was going to be smooth, they would have to work together. Besides- their plan was foolproof. There was no way that it would fail. It was just the anticipation that was making them all agitated, right?

"Hideki-san, you seem invested. I thought you said they don't make a good couple?" the smallest of the three piped up, bringing up a laugh from Asako as his thoughts were voiced by his partner in crime.

The brunet realized his fault and simply looked away, playing a very off-handish card, "Shut up."

The other two erupted into a fit of giggles, stomachs clenched. Everything would be fine.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"Ama-chan-sensei! W-what do you suppose we do?" Gou's fists clenched at her heart, face filled with bright passion, as she leaned towards the guidance of her sponsor. 

The two had become in slightly closer connections after the manager's confession that she wanted to get Rei and Nagisa dating. It was odd, and the two made an unlikely pair, but the woman seemed to be quite the romantic and offered good advice whenever it was needed.

But there was still some lying uneasiness in the redhead, and today's events had confirmed her worries. Any attempt at matchmaking was bound to go horribly wrong at this point.

It was about halfway through the school day after lunch when Gou received two texts, one after the other, from a frantic pair of co-captains.

 

> **'Gou-chan !! Help !!!!! ..・ヾ(。＞＜)シ We need to cancel practice, please! Rei-chan totally loves me and I don't know what to do** **!?!?!'**

 

> _'Gou-san. I have an inquiry of great importance- is it at all a possibility to cancel today's practice immediately and indefinitely? Please.'_

It wasn't too hard for the girl to piece everything together- from the random flustered looks Nagisa gave during lunch to the complete lack of finesse Rei displayed when trying to adjust his glasses. They were always messing around after reading some notes, which Gou had assumed were unimportant at the time, but now concluded that they were love notes.

_Love notes._

But then again, it wouldn't make sense for the two to romance each-other and then get all confused and try to cancel practice. So the pretty redhead found herself in Amakata Miho's office to cancel practice and ask for advice.

Because, honestly, she was at a complete loss.

The girl showed the text to the older woman, a lips pressed in a tightly firm line.

After a moment of contemplation, Amakata raised her finger and closed her eyes in thought.

"Being deeply loved gives man strength while the opposing gives man courage!" she boasted, and winked a caramel eye, "We shouldn't be forcing them. If they wish to cancel practice, then I think, we can afford it. We'll give them space and time, right?"

The teacher's advice was wise, albeit the muddling of such a confusing quote, and Gou could only nod furiously in silence.

"Though I do find something odd. Shimazaki-kun and the others were around the school this morning, saying they left a gift for me. Peculiar, huh?"

Gou tipped her head slightly to the side, finding some discomfort in this information. The first years seemed wholly innocent and determined to do their best. So praising Amakata seemed just fine, but the idea of coming in early?

"Oh, that is strange! Where's the gift, if you don't mind?" she asked, feeling her crimson eyes narrow slightly.

Amakata gave a gentle gesture of her hand to the printer near her desk, where the young student immediately saw another slip of paper and... a box of chocolates.

The girl strode over tentatively and lifted the stack of papers on top, grabbed the note, and unfolded it hastily.

_'Have you got the hint yet? We'll talk at practice, silly_

___♥N✩'_ _ _

And, strapped to the heart-shaped chocolate container, was a letter addressed by '~R'.

Gou's hand came to her mouth, a blush seeping past her pale skin, and the aghast girl turned to Amakata- feeling like her head was spinning round and round.

"Ama-chan-sensei! I think I know what happened!"

 ☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

 "EH?? NO PRACTICE?"

"Yes, Fujitaka-san. That's what it says."

"But..."

Asako quieted his friends, palms sweating, as his phone buzzed in his pocket. The boy took it out, fumbling with his fingers in a nervous haste. What was happening? Had something gone wrong? What had become of their plan?

The screen lit up with a pixel-y 'Gou-senpai' and a shock of confusion drew across the boy's face.

_What...?_

 

> **'Asako-kun! We need to talk. I know what you did and you're not getting out of this one.'**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have this crazy headcanon that nagisa loves cheesy pick up lines and rei is super oblivious to everything  
> plus super blushy and flustered nagisa is canon soooo (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> um uh  
> sorry for the cliffhanger? (idk if it even is one)
> 
> AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING SO LONG YOU PERFECT ANGELS WOW THE SUPPORT IS CRAZY BIG AND I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH LIKE I DIDNT EVEN THINK ID BREAK 100 VIEWS <333333333


	7. Both Sides Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's harder to matchmake when more people get involved. It's even more hard to matchmake when your two victims become suddenly self-aware.

Out of all the problems Gou had considered when going through the recruitment process, this was not one to even cross her mind.

The redhead pressed a finger hard into her temple, crimson eyes squeezed in exasperated thought. The first thing she had done after canceling practice was send a text to Asako and his not-so-sneaky band of troublemakers demanding that they explain themselves.

Both Rei and Nagisa had texted her as well, nearly at the same time, asking for practice to be canceled. Thank the heavens that she was with Amakata when the fated messages alit her phone, but there was still a lingering tension in the air. What exactly had happened? And the two captains  _refusing_ to talk to each-other also threw a wrench in Gou's own matchmaking scheme.

"Asako-kun, Fujitaka-kun, Hideki-kun," the girl clasped her hands together eagerly, eyes scanning the trio that gathered before her, " _Please_ tell me what you three did!"

Silence was all she got.

Well, if they wanted to do this the hard way, then she would do this the hard way.

Gou strode down the short line of perpetrators, eyebrows slightly downturned. She felt quite intimidating, and from the labored gulp that Fujitaka gave, it seemed her method of interrogation was working.

"Well, if you won't speak, fine. For each second that passes in silence, each of you get another lap added onto your training regimen."

That would have to work. _  
_

Almost immediately following Gou's counting, Hideki's timid voice piped up, yet simply put, "We tried to set Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai up."

Asako and Fujitaka clambered to the brunet's side, their eyes wide and pleading and extremely distraught. The feminine manager could only smile lightly as their chocolate-eyed friend was reprimanded for giving them away. 

"Do you all understand what you've done?" she brought the room back to her attention, a thin eyebrow raised in questioning. These first years could be trusted with nothing, it seemed to her, as they had already managed to botch a seemingly simple plan and it hadn't even been a month since swim season started. 

There was no answer to her question, and Gou gently tapped her foot against the concrete sidewalk beneath them. She had picked a slightly secluded spot, hidden from prying eyes by a couple of tall-standing oaks near the swim yard, as to not embarrass them _too_ much if things got loud.

The teen with the ponytail continued, "Nagisa-kun and Rei-kun are no longer talking to each-other. I guess they found out about the notes you guys planted," Gou closed her eyes, mouth slightly downturned, "and didn't know how to react. Ah, I knew that love would weaken them! I can't believe you all thought this was a good idea!" The manager found herself loosening slightly during what should have been their punishment, knowing that arguing wouldn't help either of them in this case. Although the new swimmers had no inkling of her and Amakata's plan to set the friendly captains up, stirring conflict could only lead to more complications in getting the two to actually date.

She supposed it was time to tell them anyway. 

"You three are not the only ones who want them to date. You're just pretty stupid about it," she admitted blandly, earning a flurry of defensive words, but continued on despite their rebuttal, "and now we're both further from our goals."

Asako was the first to understand, and eagerly filled the warm summer silence between them. 

"Y-You mean... Gou-san... you-? You think they're meant for each-other as well?" The glimmer in the lanky boy's eyes was almost more blinding than the white hot sun above.

"Of course. I've spent more time with them too, and sometimes it gets exhausting to see them always denying their feelings."

"So Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai have talked to you about it, I assume?" Hideki asked, his voice slow and calculated. Out of all the new members he seemed to be the most fair-headed, and even though he portrayed a reliable muse, their 'club''s most recent ruse proved otherwise. The question still took Gou off-guard, though, and she had to pause before speaking.

"That's classified, of course! Just know you're not alone on this. And if I have anything to do with it, we need to set things right." The redhead pumped a spirited fist towards the blue sky, earning an awed round of applause from her fellow matchmakers.

Everything would work out fine. They would join forces, and then nothing would go wrong. Right?

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Hazuki Nagisa was 100% sure that an elephant falling out of the sky would make more sense than what was currently happening in his life.

When the love notes had started finding their way into his pockets at first he squealed and blushed and delighted in the affectionate tokens of chocolate that were bestowed upon him. But then things got suspicious- from the romantically vague signature to each package slowly becoming more meticulously wrapped and more purple and more butterfly patterned.

The idea, no- the  _fact_ that Rei-chan actually had wrote those letters and placed them for him to find...

The curly haired blond wrapped himself into an even more compact ball, feeling a pale blush start to crawl across his cheeks. The petite boy had gone home immediately after school, moving quickly enough so that he could catch the early train and not have to see Rei. There was no other place Nagisa would rather be than in his room, by himself, away from Rei and the rest of the swim team.

Okay, that was somewhat a lie.

Nagisa uncurled slightly, tightly clenched fists giving way to show a crumpled up piece of paper in his palm. It was his favorite of the notes, a short yet beautiful poem that described his likeness to the sun. Just even thinking about it made the swim captain blush furiously, and he had only been able to read it once without spontaneously combusting and tripping over his own feet.

Actually, just thinking of  _Rei_ creating and writing each little present was enough to send Nagisa over the edge.

In a way he still believed that his feelings were unrequited. That there was no way Rei would like him or even notice him. That Rei, the perfect boy with the perfect formula for life, would ever consider such a messy and unorganized kid as anything more than a friend.

If Nagisa was being honest with himself, he had a crush on everything about Rei.

His bright violet eyes and dark navy hair that never seemed to sit smoothly. His gorgeously hard working spirit and genuine passion for swimming and theories. His steadiness and consideration of others. His gentle and understanding smile whenever the blond boy needed it most.

Okay, that was enough thinking about that.

Despite the endless (and he really knew it was endless) list of things that gave Nagisa a fluttering, butterfly-filled stomach when he thought about Rei, it didn't feel right. Like something was off. Hell, he had asked Gou to cancel swim practice just to avoid the confrontation!

What if Rei had prepared something to say to him? What if it was all a huge misunderstanding?

Suddenly feeling slightly sick to his stomach yet confusingly craving strawberry ice cream, Nagisa snuggled in on himself a little bit more and he sat on his bed, blushing.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

He usually kept a calm head about these things. About everything, really.

Yet when the fading white light of Rei's laptop screen went blank because he had forgotten to plug it in, he knew something was wrong. Rei  _never_ forgot to plug his laptop in to charge, even if he was only gone for an hour or popping on to check the local weather.

The dark haired boy had been feverishly searching the medical side effects of infatuation when it had run out of power, seeing as his heart beat was increased and he couldn't get a certain energetic blond off his mind and everything kind of seemed to blur together.

Rei had no experience with most of his own emotions, after spending a lot of time on his own, and he especially had no practice when it came to romantic affection. He had always brushed it off, denied it, or busied himself with other things- even when faced with the simple concept of a gradeschool crush.

But then Nagisa had come into his life like the overbearing, messy, loud, talkative bundle of loving sunshine he was and completely stolen Rei away with his pretty rosy eyes that shined like freshly polished quartz.

Okay, Rei  _totally_ did not just think that.

At this point the bespectacled captain felt completely useless in his own advice- as he had already requested to cancel practice after receiving and embarrassingly endearing barrage of love notes from an anonymous person who he eventually deduced to be his co-captain. His last option would to be contacting someone, someone who wasn't on his own swim team, and ask for an outsider's opinion. 

He extensively wracked his brain and phone contact list for anyone to call and seek out- longing for something to do and a set formula and plan of action. He always felt quite helpless concerning his supposed affections for Nagisa, and now that they had been partially confirmed as mutual Rei was at a loss of words. He  _needed_ to know the next step, he needed to sort things out.

Before Rei was quite sure of what he was doing, the boy thumbed out Haru's profile from his organized contact list and jammed his finger hastily against the green call button.

The line on the other end rang hollowly a few times before a voice crackled to life, "Hello?"

"Haruka-senpai! I hope I'm not disturbing you at an inconvenient time, and I'm very sorry if I am, but I seek your assistance in a very dire matter!" The swimmer could feel his palms dampen and prickle as he waited for his blue-eyed friend to respond, and couldn't help but glance anxiously around his own room which seemed very crowded all of a sudden.

"Just ask Nagisa."

"Uh- well that- that is... Well you see, Haruka-senpai, I would; but this is a matter which I deem to not be beautiful at all and would hesitate to utter its existence to someone such as Nagisa-kun and-"

"Rei. Calm down, please." Haru's voice was oddly comforting despite its familiarly annoyed edge, and the bespectacled teen gave a heavy breath before pushing his glasses up. If he wanted help he would actually have to clarify the problem first.

"My apologies! Uh, anyway... today during school I received an odd chain of letters from an anonymous admirer. After a careful process of elimination I figured that the messages were from Nagisa-kun, which would mean that he... has... affections for me." Upon saying this Rei couldn't help but remember Haru's straight-forward question after their four way Skype call at the beginning of the season. It had been when the two Iwatobi captains were pushed into the pool by Fujitaka, and had decided to contact their old friends and catch up. Haruka had, in his blatant manner, asked if the two were dating yet. At the time it seemed quite ridiculous, but at this point Rei didn't know what was reality and what was a far-fetched illusion.

"Nagisa likes you?" Haru paused, taking a breath before continuing, "I don't see the problem."

"What?"

"You like him back. What's the issue?"

Rei was about to respond before the line cut out, and he was left with a dropped call and more confusion than ever. Running from your problems was never a good idea, but he found no courage or method to face them either.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆IN TOKYO.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Makoto ran a hand through his olive hair tiredly, emerging from the cramped bathroom into the not-much-bigger living room of Haru's apartment. He had just gotten off the phone with a flushing Nagisa who couldn't seem to formulate proper, human words- and could tell from the exhausted look on Haruka's countenance that he had just hung up on Rei.

"My, we leave them for one month and they've already gotten into trouble," the emerald-eyed student laughed lightly, "Right, Haru-chan? What did Rei say?" Makoto gave a fondly curious smile, moving to sit next to his friend on the still-wrapped couch. It seemed that the raven haired boy hadn't gotten around to setting up his apartment yet.

Haru simply shrugged, only notifying he heard Makoto with a slight inclination of his head, "He thinks too much."

"Typical Rei, huh?" the taller of the two laughed before standing up again, figuring he wasn't going to get anything out of the silent swimmer yet. They would talk about it when they were ready to share 'their' sides of the story, and when they felt like Rei and Nagisa really needed outside help. It was hard to learn, yet sometimes the two younger boys needed to figure things out on their own. This may be one of those times.

Makoto moved to the small kitchenette that nestled itself in the corner of the room, and began to fill a tea kettle (the only supply set up besides a grilling pan for mackerel) with a satisfied sigh.

"When do you think they'll realize they were made for each other?"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"So do we get them ice cream  _before_ or  _after_ Hideki-san talks to Rei-senpai?"

"I thought we weren't going through with that plan!"

"Oi! Focus! The goal is to get them to the team party, not the ice cream date- right?"

Gou waved a hand at the three younger members, scarlet eyes flickering with annoyance. Dealing with Nagisa and her crybaby brother since childhood was one thing to build up her tolerance, but it was a different case when you had a trio of bickering matchmakers who had no idea how to plan things that wouldn't lead to failure.

Along with Amakata throwing in her ideas, the devious group had agreed to meet in the teacher's office before the school closed, near sundown, and compile an actual plan for their next stages. With Rei and Nagisa not speaking, and both in a seemingly eternal state of flustered shock, they had a small window of tentative planning to accomplish.

Yet despite the advantage of scheming time, it also posed the obstacle that they had to get Nagisa and Rei actually talking again.

Their brunette advisor simply sipped her tea quietly, wearing a canary yellow sweater and posed at her desk with the epitome of all the calmness and wisdom she could muster. The four students, on the other hand, rushed to slip and talk over each other as they wrote down a plan of action on a torn-up, granite-smudged scrap of looseleaf.

The first years turned to their manager with expectant looks, their nerves on the last fraying cord as well, "Arguing won't get us anywhere. Here's the final plan," she announced, pausing to leave any room for objection. When there was none, and Amakata gave her a slight nod, Gou continued, "First we get them talking again. This will happen when Hideki-kun approached Rei-kun about his feelings. Also, with swim practice back in schedule, they'll be forced to talk."

Asako nodded, his face scrunched with concentration.

"Then we set them up on an ice cream date. Fujitaka-kun, that'll be your job! Get them interacting again and follow them- make sure you report any romantic findings to the group!"

The boy with the fern colored hair gave a mock salute, taking his assignment quite seriously.

"And then we'll arrange a team party, of sorts, with a lot of games that'll set them up. Who knows- that may get them to confess!" The redhead clasped her hands together in delight, spirit matched by the rising excitement of the other team members.

"Matsuoka-kun, I think you're forgetting one detail." the young woman raised a waggling finger, and the matchmakers turned to face their staff leader.

"Plan a romantic date. Let it take place after the team game session, so if if they haven't realized by then, they will when they're together. And alone. Remember, it was Muller who said, 'A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love'!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry it took a long time to get this chapter out  
> and i'm so sorry it's sloppy and fairly uneventful
> 
> please forgive me ;____; i love you all and thank you so much for your uplifting support over the last month! it really keeps me writing with purpose <3
> 
> ALSO we are somewhat nearing the end of this gloriously horrid fanfiction! so after this chapter I assure you everything will be very interesting and fast paced and hopefully make you laugh
> 
> I beg you for some feedback this time as well, and I would love you forever if you'd like to comment :* Until next time!


	8. Whole Wide World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desperate to get their captains talking again, the Matchmaking team springs into action.

Hideki was a straight-forward person, most of the time, and usually found no trouble in saying what he wanted to.

But when he was  _forced_ to do something, especially for a stupid group of matchmakers he wanted no part with, he got a little less confident. He had been assigned the task of speaking with Rei, and was making his way toward's the captain's house to do it. Wet patches of pavement sloshed under his feet. It had rained recently, and the small village was painted with dull grey hues, as clear rain water beaded along the seaside road railings and signs to the shops in the home-grown district.   
  
Rei's apartment was a boxy, cream colored building that looked like it was built by a depressed, middle-aged man; and the current weather did nothing to help its aesthetic. 

The brunet climbed each stair with labor, his breath increasingly heavy with nerves, and nearly had to drag himself to the older teen's doorstep. He gave a gentle slew of knocks against the door, and almost immediately a pretty woman with dark navy hair answered the door, just as the rain began to fall again.

"Uh... Ryugazaki-san? The swimmer spoke hesitantly, and physically felt himself relax when she gave a smile. It was fairly familiar, too- Rei looked scarily alike to his mother.  
  
"Hmm, you must be Hideki-kun, correct? Ah, you must be so cold! Go straight up the stairs, and find the first door on the left."   
  


☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

The bespectacled teen had been sitting at his desk, tending to his studies, when a timid scratch of a knock at the door distracted him.

"Come in!" Rei called out, brow furrowed slightly at the fact that someone had knocked before entering. He knew it was only polite, but it was a strange time for anyone other than his mother to be home. Unless it meant-

"Rei-senpai."

"Hideki-kun!?" The navy haired boy nearly choked on his words, and stood up abruptly from his seat with a clatter of wheels against hardwood. He made a sad attempt to disguise the outburst by pushing up his scarlet-rimmed glasses, hand covering his face, "What are you doing here?"

"Oi, calm down!" Hideki held his hands up apologetically, taking a step into Rei's room. 

With a breath the captain simply smoothed back his unruly sapphire hair, and sighed, "My apologies, Hideki-kun. I thought you were Na-"

An awkward boom of silence met them- more akin to a crackling electricity of quiet over a languid, content stillness.  
  
"Uh..I-"

"Rei-senpai, I-"

Both spoke at the same time, leaving a space between the two swimmers even more painfully awkward than before. Rei simply couldn't bear the embarrassment, a vibrant shade of crimson smudged across his face, while Hideki nervously scratched the back of his neck. The captain gave a sigh after the new silence continued on for too long, and tried to curse the wish in his mind that Nagisa was with him. The blond was always better at talking to the younger members anyway.  
  
"Please, listen?" the brunet at the door spoke gingerly, letting his arm drop to his side, and Rei glanced over with a slight cough. Hideki took it as a subtle affirmation, and continued on.

"I was sent- I mean..." he paused, and then straightened up. The older teen noticed, with some disdain, that his kouhai was much better at gathering himself, "I have a question for you. What exactly are your feelings for Nagisa-senpai?"

Rei blinked at the younger boy in response, violet eyes wide, as what was asked registered in his brain. This time, instead of becoming a sputtering mess who had no beauty in the way he acted, the teen became a laughing wreck. He lay a hand on his stomach and waved the other nonchalantly in the air, trying to dismiss how absurd he was being in response.

"What a ridiculous thing to wonder! We're friends, of course, Hideki-kun." the navy haired swimmer finished through a bout of hard laughter, and wiped a barely-there tear from the corner of his eye. He may have exaggerated a little bit, but his studies showed that humor was the most effective way to ward off an unwanted question.

But Hideki didn't buy it.

The chocolate eyed boy raised an eyebrow, his countenance not at all amused, "Oh really? Do friends not speak to each-other, then?" Hideki folded his arms across his chest, not letting his own gaze wander from the face of a very, _very_ trapped Ryugazaki Rei.

All he had wanted was to study, in his own room, and create his own little oasis where there were no silly thoughts of hyperactive blonds with pretty garnet eyes. But now, with Hideki breaking the solitude, there was no way to salvage what he had tried to build. While it perplexed Rei that the boy even  _knew_ he and Nagisa weren't talking, the inner battle was pushed away to make room for other wars. Mainly his struggle to deny, and then live with, feelings for his curly-haired friend that made it feel as if there were butterflies in his stomach. 

He supposed it had started when he was first taken onto the team. Rei regretted to use the word 'join' so leisurely, because it was really Nagisa who bugged him until he realized the sport for what it really was. The bespectacled teen's life was almost like a rollercoaster from there, and through every twist and turn and dip and build-up, Nagisa was at his side.

The captain sighed heavily.

"I may be so bold as to give my answer, but Hideki-kun, why do you ask?"

"I'm curious."

Rei stifled another sigh, and instead ended up biting his lip (somewhat painfully, he may add). There were many logical, reasonable rebuttals he could give to such a plain answer- but Hideki was clever. The brunet would probably persist and stay in Rei's room all night if he had to. Rei closed his eyes.

"Nagisa-kun is extremely messy. He chews with his mouth open and often times chokes when he swallows because he gets too excited, he talks a lot, he's far too loud, he often acts in a way which is much less than polite, and although I would never utter such a thought, he manages to be beautiful all the same. He has me completely wrapped around his finger and it is quite frustrating, because its illogical, and none of this should be occurring."

The boy opened his eyes after the long speech, blinking a few times because he had said so much with so little fuel he found himself slightly dizzy. Hideki still stood in his doorway, yet his caramel hued eyes were a little wider than before, and Rei could swear his chest was heaving every time he took a breath.

"But I would never say such an absurd thing out loud, and I'm fairly sure Nagisa-kun would be upset to hear it."

"I doubt it."

Rei raised a curious eyebrow at Hideki, finding himself much more calm that he had gotten all the jumbled words and feelings out. It still bugged the older of the two that his teammate was so adamant on the issue, and had actually come to Rei's house to address it, but he found the power to ignore such a thing for a moment. It was almost like a state of shock that Rei was in. He had just fully admitted to the younger swimmer that he had a crush (which was not becoming in the slightest) on a sunshine-y ball of energy who swam breaststroke for the team they were  _both_ on. 

How was he going to get out of this one?

For the moment, however, Rei managed to keep his composure and promised he would have a panic attack later, when Hideki had gotten out of his house and he could react properly. The navy haired teen knew he was one for speaking upon emotions, but never knew it could all come out like a busted floodgate.

"Anyway, Rei-senpai, some advice. Talk to him. It doesn't matter to me," the pause in the dark haired boy's voice made Rei think otherwise, "but it matters to some other people. Plus we have swim practice so it's inevitable."

The bespectacled student had never heard Hideki talk so much before, or so brutally honest, and gave a silent nod in response. A shock of energy, akin to something furiously electric, shot through Rei as the younger teen turned to leave.

"Wait, Hideki-kun! Why  _did_ you come to ask about something like this?"

The brunet shrugged, "For a friend,"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"But, Fujitaka-san, we have to decide before tomorrow. An ice cream date, or a team party?"

"We don't even know if they're talking!"

"Both of you quiet, geez!" 

The redhead manager rubbed her temples slightly, earning a sympathetic glance from Asako. The meddling group, except for Miho and Hideki (who was out on a super special mission) were huddled in the corner of a local coffee shop, waiting out the new wave of rain and discussing details of their next step.

Asako thought that they had decided on a concrete plan, which was to set the two out on a sweet trip as soon as possible, but with the dreary weather and lack of communication between the captains, that option was growing dimmer.

Gou set her mug down gently on the table, and gave a dainty clap. It was enough to garner the attention of the younger members with her.

"An ice cream date won't work. Rei-kun usually buys Nagisa-kun some dessert after school anyway, so it isn't romantic enough," Fujitaka had to clamp a hand over his mouth to avoid bursting at this new tidbit of information, "so I finalize that we have a team party. Spin the bottle, truth or dare- whatever it takes to get them together."

Asako and Fujitaka let out a hushed chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs', finding great admiration in how easily the scarlet eyed girl made a decision. They were about to break into a soft round of applause, but a commotion at the door distracted their newfound decision.

The door to the quaint little shop swung open with a spirited  _CLANG!,_ followed by the fairy-like charm of the welcoming bell. Hideki stood on the foyer's mat, rainwater dripping from his matted chocolate hair, despite the open umbrella he had clutched in his hand. He shut it begrudgingly, and made a face as Fujitaka burst into laughter.

"Hideki! Are you okay?" Asako asked worriedly, though his concern was masked by a small giggle he let out. Their friend looked quite silly, actually, standing there like a brooding storm cloud who had tripped into a murky lake.

"Fine. Oi, s-stop laughing!" the boy chattered, glaring at his olive haired friend as the shorter boy ignored each threat- his amusement only gaining volume.

"Shh, you're going to get us noticed! Don't any of you have manners?" Gou snapped, puffing her cheeks slightly in Fujitaka's direction. They had already garnered a few suspicious glances from the elderly woman behind the counter, and the man at the table next to them looked like he was ready to splash his tea all over their faces.

Asako's platinum eyes dimmed for a moment, but then he remembered what Hideki's task had been. The brunet wouldn't have returned so early unless he had some news to share!

"So, what is it, Hideki-san?" Fujitaka piped up, ignoring Gou's menacing dagger-eyes and beating Asako to the question.

"Rei-senpai has confirmed his feelings. And I know they're going to talk soon."

The other three positively lit up, as if fireworks had gone off in their hearts and minds, and the redhead clasped her hands together animatedly. Asako couldn't stop a grin from splitting across his own face, and slyly noticed Hideki (despite all his stupid mumbling about Nagisa and Rei  _not_ being perfect for each-other) repressing a smile as well.

"Things are finally going well!" Fujitaka sighed dreamily, his sable green hair bouncing with the jittering movement he made.

"Don't say things like that, Fujitaka-san, then we're sure to fail!" Asako reprimanded his friend with a light poke, calling back to what Nagisa had told them before their first meet. The blond had  _loudly_ reminded the whole team that, while confidence was good, too much of it led to losing. That was something he intended to remember upon this crazy, romantic journey- and so far this was the only event that had turned up positively for the matchmakers.

"Anyway, the plan," Gou spoke, just enough to redirect the trio's focus, "We'll host a party, at Asako-kun's house, as a team bonding event. So, that way, we can play a bunch of party games. It'll be rigged, of course, so that Nagisa-kun and Rei-kun get stuck together." she cheerily announced, earning a sigh from Hideki.

"It sounds like you're enjoying this too much."

The manager quickly slid one of her dango off its skewer and hurled the sticky-sweet ball in Hideki's direction, to which the brunet narrowly dodged it. The sugary dumpling made a quiet  _splat_ against the floor, and the rain-doused boy kicked it under the table slyly. Gou had spent enough time around boys to know how to get them to shut up: just take charge and throw something.

"It's settled, then, after practice Gou-san can announce the team party and Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai will be making out before we know it!"

"F-Fujitaka-kun! Be a little more quiet!"

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Rain dripped down the sides of Nagisa's window like little, clear dabbles of paint that struggled to make their streak on a glassy canvas. Outside was grey and sad and dismal, but the pinstriped walls of his room and the baby pink lamp he had made a gallant effort of brightening the mood.

The sun had begun to set, each minute that passed on his clock bringing the blond nearer to a brand new school day- where he would have to actually  _talk_ to Rei and go to swim practice. Act like a normal co-captain and do normal, not-at-all-suspicious things like he usually did.

Nagisa gave a light sigh and set down his pencil, and leaned back in his chair. It was exhausting, sometimes, to do this day after day. Ever since he had seen Rei beautifully jump over that pole vault their first year, which seemed like forever ago, he was oddly entranced by the glasses-wearing teen. He knew now that he actually had feelings, like warm feelings that made his heart fuzzy, for the taller swimmer- but Nagisa never dreamed of them as being mutual.

He still didn't know if they even were mutual. 

The blond wanted nothing more than to talk to his best friend, or reach him somehow, and tell him that he'd be fine with the notes and the gifts and the cute, poetic words. But there was really no way he could!

With each passing minute the rain outside grew heavier, and it was suddenly so grand and extravagant that it sounded like ice banging on a tin roof, and the wind howled at Nagisa's windows. Not wanting to see any more greyness or darkness, he shut the blinds and turned up the brightness of his little pink lamp.

Nagisa took a break from studying, though he never made the formal decision, and flopped onto his bed with a muffled moan- barred by a squishy penguin stuffed animal he had smashed his face into. 

He sat there for a little bit longer, the rain drowning out his thoughts and his breath turned hot on his face by the soft fur of his penguin plushie.

"Rei-chan isn't mean. Rei-chan won't hate you, right?" the boy mumbled to himself, flipping onto his back and grabbing his phone from the bedside table. 

He was right.

No matter what had actually happened, or how either of the parties felt, they were friends first and foremost- and Nagisa intended to maintain that! Why would he keep sulking and ignoring his studies when he could talk to Rei-chan and make everything right?

Such a sudden burst of optimism gave the sakura-eyed swimmer a chance to catch his excited gasp of breath and sit up, and select Rei's contact name before typing out a message and sending it- almost not thinking at all.

> **Good night Rei-chan !! can 't wait to see you tomorrow at practice ! ヽ(^◇^*)/**

It didn't matter, though, if the text was stupid or not-thought-out, because it made Nagisa smile as he returned to his homework. 

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Far too late in the night for anything to be reasonable, Rei's phone screen buzzed to life with a bright white message from a certain Hazuki Nagisa. 

He opened in drowsily, struggling to slip on his red rimmed glasses, and could only smile warmly as he read the text. A blush painted the boy's cheeks, and there he fell asleep, just before having a very odd dream about neon pink penguins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no idea what just happened ???  
> like at all ??  
> i had a very different storyline planned out originally  
> and i'm going through a writer's block right now so i apologize for literally everything and I hope you guys enjoy T_T some feedback would be more than greatly appreciated


	9. This Is My Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the ball rolling, the matchmakers try to take advantage of their momentum, and hit the ground running as their party approaches. But, nothing has ever gone right for them in the past. Why should this time be any different?

Nagisa rocked happily back and forth on his heels, hands clasped behind him. The other captain, standing beside him with a slight blush on his face, struggled to read the times from their previous meet off his recordings. Asako took a 'wild' shot that it was probably, no, scratch that-  _undoubtedly_ the petite blond's gaze unwaveringly fixed on Rei that made the taller of the two so flustered.

"Asako-san, help, I'm gonna chip my damn tooth!" Fujitaka hissed from his side, brightly mischievous eyes still lingering on the third-years. The navy haired swimmer only gave a sharp  _tch_ in response, feeling his stomach flip and flop as he watched the two captains basically flirt in front of the whole team.

_Could've just started making out instead, that'd be easier._

Lately it felt as if their blatant romantics had been amplified, and as the time until their team party shortened, Asako was waiting for them to announce they were dating and then the whole plan would be out the window. Or, even maybe married, considering that wouldn't be too hard for anyone to believe.

The curly-haired blond, with his stupidly silly smile made of sunshine, tipped to the side and bumped Rei in the shoulder- so much that the boy's red rimmed glasses almost slipped off his face. Consequently, a couple of the sheets that Rei was holding scattered and fluttered to the ground.

"Nagisa-kun, what-"

"Ah, Rei-chan! Sorry!" Nagisa gasped dramatically, garnet eyes sparking with amused worry, and he made an attempt to lurch forward and catch some of the papers that his friend had dropped.

As the two fought to cover their blushes and pick up the pool water-soaked times that littered the ground, Gou gave a heavy sigh and stepped forward. 

"Alright, listen up! Today you're going to follow a strict regimen! Those muscles won't build themselves," the redhead paused for emphasis, and Asako swore he could almost see her eyes glimmer at the mention of muscles, "so I need you all to finish your warmups and get in the pool for some training with paddles!"

A soft chorus of protests and groans escaped the swim team, but were quickly shushed as their manager clapped her hands together and furrowed her brows.

"Come on, let's go! Nagisa-kun, Rei-kun- both of you as well!" Gou instructed, waving the other members along towards the pool and gathering Rei and Nagisa from the ground. 

The group began making their way, and a light shriek from the trio of third years let Asako know that Nagisa had probably said something unintentionally inappropriate and Gou was flustered with dismay and Rei was just horrified (who else could scream like that?). But soon their two captains had begun to collect the paddles for training and started towards the pool's edge, the taller's face painted scarlet red.

Asako wanted to punch himself or rip his hair out or something because they were so obliviously adorable it was making his stomach hurt.

Hideki intervened before the taller first-year could mutilate himself, and gave a slight tap on Asako's shoulder.

"Rei-senpai and Nagisa-senpai weren't talking a few days ago," the brunet noted, and it almost sounded like he forcefully hiding the interest that threatened his voice, "Notice that yet?"

"Observant as ever, Hideki," the cobalt haired boy beamed, a small smile reaching his lips, "But- wait a minute!? I thought you didn't care ab-"

His realization was cut off as the other swimmer snapped on his goggles and walked away, grabbing a paddle and slipping into the pool.

Asako felt his face flare up again and his palms grew sweaty with some sort of panic as he experienced an existential crisis. Rei and Nagisa had begun talking again, so much so that they were back to flirting like crazy, and their party was only the next day, and even  _Hideki_ was deliberately trying to help them, and Asako wouldn't be surprised if Amakata like sprouted horns and the world dissolved in flames. 

Beside him chimed a bubbly, "Asako-chan, here's a paddle for you!"

The boy gave an apologetic grin and headed over to his vice captain, before snapping on his goggles and also getting in the water. For now, he had to focus.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°TWO NIGHTS AGO☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

_Nagisa rolled over with a sigh, his favorite penguin stuffed animal clutched snugly between his legs. The blond held his phone in his hands waveringly, eyebrows furrowed in concentration and annoyance and thought all at once. He was just jumbled and frazzled and_ really  _didn't know what to do._

_"Ehh, I wish I could ask Rei-chan for advice. But that wouldn't work."_ _the swimmer mused out loud, and found himself nuzzling further into the pillow behind his head._

_Normally he'd ask Rei for advice on anything, for some guiding wisdom, but considering he was the current subject of the problem- it wouldn't do Nagisa much to talk to him._

_But he couldn't avoid it, either._

_Following the confusing little stint with the love notes being passed around, both parties had been nervous on talking to each-other (although neither knew that the other had_ also  _received papers), and were reluctant to do anything. Rei was most likely thinking of a logical approach to the whole situation, while Nagisa felt quite non-confrontational about the whole thing and was hoping that Rei wasn't mad. That it would all work out._

_Why would Rei be mad in the first place?  
_

_With a loud groan, the sunshine haired boy grabbed his penguin from between his legs and smushed his nose into it, letting out another muffled whimper of distress._

_He couldn't ignore it, either. At least- not forever. He and Rei were friends, first and foremost, no matter whatever the notes had said. Just because they were decorated in tones of purple and signature butterflies, as well as penned with an 'R' didn't_ exactly  _mean they were from Rei._

_And, plus, Nagisa really did like Rei. Like, really. And even talking to him, despite the status of his feelings being unrequited or not, was better than not talking to him at all._

_"Alright then!" he exclaimed all of a sudden, burgundy eyes owlish and glimmering. Nagisa nuzzled his way back through the covers to grab his phone and discarded the stuffed animal aside, opening up Rei's contact information._

_Their texts from the previous, a simple 'Goodnight', was all there was to show- and the petite swimmer bravely began typing his message._

> Hey , Rei-chan , wanna get some ice cream after school tomorrow ?? (・∀・ )

_Nagisa bit his bottom lip, breath held as he waited for a response. It seemed like ages until the screen lit up again._

> **Good evening, Nagisa-kun.**

_The blond had to surpress a giddy squeal that bubbled at the back of his throat, and eagerly tapped out his message._

> Rei-chaaaan dont ignore me !! there 's a new place that opened by the station !
> 
> **But you have ice cream almost every day. A treat is fine once in a while, Nagisa-kun, but you must be more careful of your diet!**

_It was almost as if everything had reverted to normal in the blink of an eye. Trying to cover the blush that heated his cheeks, despite being around nobody else, Nagisa absently wondered if Rei even knew about the love notes._

> ಥ‿ಥ Rei-chan is so mean . and don 't worry !!! I promise I' ll start eating better !!!!
> 
> **Nagisa-kun...**
> 
> REI CHAN
> 
> **Fine. After swim practice, of course.**

_The curly haired boy shut his phone with another delighted squawk. Everything would be fine, he was sure of it! First of all he was going to get ice cream, and then a chance to talk to Rei. Things would work out. Even if it meant he had to ignore those notes..._

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Asako felt like his arms were on fire and his body was being stretched to inhumane lengths and like nothing was going right in the world at all.

A groan from Fujitaka, who lay splayed out on the soaked ground by the pool, confirmed that the shorter boy was feeling the same.

Their practice had finished, finally, and nearly half the team was out after having practiced with paddles and also recording times for their upcoming meet. Rei and Nagisa were trying to decide who would get what relay spots. Asako mainly did breaststroke, but he still couldn't beat Nagisa at it- yet Hideki had come up with an impressive freestyle run. 

The platinum eyed teen nudged his brunet friend in the side as he passed, and gave him an impressed grin. Despite his valiant efforts during practice, Hideki was also feeling fatigue and was lounging on the ground with a cluster of second years. 

Asako extended one hand to help him up as their captains called for their closing meeting.

"Good job today, everyone!" Rei announced, his scarlet glasses nearly fogging with all the pride that exuded from his voice, "This was a very productive week, and I'd like to congratulate you all on improving. Please, get some rest."

"Ahh! Don't forget, there's a party at Asako-chan's house tomorrow!" Nagisa chimed in, jumping in front of Rei with a wide smile, to which the other boy jolted, "Be there!" the blond slightly pouted at the end, sakura eyes bright and hopeful.

Oh, they would be there. Asako could barely stop himself from grinning, and one look at Gou whispering to Amakata told him she was elaborating even further on their plan. 

The team began to dissolve, heading in pairs and clumps back to the locker rooms. The cobalt haired swimmer helped up Fujitaka as well, and they turned around to call Hideki with them, surprised to find he was chatting with Nagisa and Rei.

All Asako witnessed was a, _"Good work today, Hide-chan!"_ from Nagisa and a slight nod from Rei, before the unimaginable happened.

"Thanks Mom, Dad." Hideki waved one hand, about to walk away, before realizing what he said. The boy stopped dead in his tracks, one foot already in the air, face paralyzed with fear.

Fujitaka's laughter split the awkwardly silent air so loudly and amusedly that Asako joined in, and the brunet's face heated up as bright as the afternoon sun.

Nagisa and Rei stood there, the blond's eyes blank, and Rei looked a similar shade of scarlet to Hideki- maybe even redder, if that was somehow possible.

"O-Ohmyg-gosh, Hideki-s-san, y-you..!" Fujitaka could barely control himself, arms wrapped around his stomach as he doubled over in laughter. The petrified swimmer opposite them was still frozen, and there was a fleeting thought that he and his captains may just stay glued and blushing like that for an eternity.

Hideki finally broke, and it was almost as if there was steam coming out of his ears, "Rei-senpai, N-Nagisa-senpai, I'm... I didn't mean-!"

In all of his years, Asako had never seen the usually level-minded boy in such distress. Oh, this he would use on him later. For sure.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"Asako-san, do you have tape?"

The boy in mention gave a slight nod before ripping off a sliver of clear tape, and handed it to the second year that was asking. He had come to help Asako and his fellow matchmakers, Gou included, set up the party decorations before the rest of the team came over. 

It seemed like ages, yet also seconds, had passed by since their practice- and it was already time to arrange everything for the get together. Hideki and Fujitaka worked at arranges snacks and checking for incoming guests, while Gou oversaw the setting up of decorations.

The ginger swimmer grabbed the tape with a smile and used it to secure a light blue paper flower on the wall. They had already blown up balloons that clustered in the corners of the room, and flowers and signs were hung up all over the walls- even accompanied by some streamers. Fujitaka, with all his self-awareness, had managed to dump glitter on the floor.

He had brought it in hopes to throw it at people, almost like confetti, but wasn't able to hold his balance when setting down a plate of cubed mochi, and now it sparkled and gleamed like thousands of little shattered diamonds. Although it would be a hassle to clean up, Asako found himself mesmerized by the way the gold pieces seemed to flicker and twinkle like stars across the ground.

"So, Hideki-san really called them 'Mom' and 'Dad'?" the older teen, Kohaku, asked.

Asako nodded, and added with a hushed giggle, "You should have seen the look on Nagisa-senpai and Rei-senpai's faces!" the boy shielded their conversation from Hideki scandalously with a hand raised near his mouth.

Gou gave a huff from beside them, "One more! Then we'll be done." the redhead tossed a paper flower, this one a deep navy and speckled with shots of ivory paint, to Kohaku.

A knock at the door distracted Fujitaka and Hideki, who both stumbled over each other to answer it.

The other second-year, Yoshio, followed through and slipped off his shoes, giving a kind wave of his hand. He was a pretty nice guy, even if a little bit shy, and Asako didn't often get the chance to talk to him.

Gou left the two decorators to finish their job and slipped over to talk to the rest of the team, undoubtedly explaining what the party was _really_ for. When the pair finished they also joined the discussion, and the dark haired teen found himself twiddling his thumbs in nervous anticipation.

Their manager clapped her hands together, ruby eyes simply fervent, "Alright! Welcome, everyone. Now, as you've guessed, this party is also to get Nagisa-kun and Rei-kun to kiss each other, or date each-other, or whatever." she waved a hand, gentle smile upon her face, "So we're going to play a bunch of games! And don't worry, this'll be fun for all of you."

Gou winked and held up a bottle that she had clutched at her side.

Fujitaka beamed, letting out a bird-like chirp of astonishment, "Spin the bottle!? Really!?"

The girl nodded, and cradled it between her hands, "Mhm! But this one is rigged," she gave it a shake, "because there's a small weight in here. If we spin it just right, it  _should_ land on the captains." Luckily the empty bottle was glassed over with a brownish sheen, making it opaque instead of see-through. 

Hideki grinned, almost as if he was impressed, and the second-years gave soft claps of approval. Everyone was ready, and everyone was in on it. With the colorful decor in place and the sweetly warm aroma of food in the air, only their two most pivotal players had to arrive before the party could start.

It seemed like an eternity, even though it wasn't very long, until the captains arrived; Rei with an apologetic smile and a bag of sweets in his hand, which had to of belonged to the bouncing Nagisa next to him, because why would he buy something with such high sugar content?

The team graciously sat down in the friendly atmosphere of Asako's home, and the air was quickly filled with content laughter and jokes, as well as the always welcome noise of food being consumed. Gou was making her way through a dainty plate of edamame, while Nagisa scarfed down two fists of tart kakigore that he and Rei had purchased.

Fujitaka was quick to chime in, as they seated themselves, about Hideki's blunder earlier in the day, and received a wobbly somen noodle to the face. He promptly responded by chucking a tear of melon bread back at his brunet friend, and Yoshio scrambled to stop their petty argument as Rei sat, mortified by the display of something  _so_ not beautiful.

They then continued to tell stories and swap polite chat, and the younger team members began to learn more about the history of the club as Nagisa told of Haruka, the most amazing freestyle swimmer ever, who had a habit of stripping wherever water was ear.

Asako was content to sip on his soda and watch everything, seeing as he was too nervous to speak up. Soon, when everyone was finished eating and conversing, they would begin their first party game of many- and he couldn't really tell if that was a good or bad thing.

The past few days had been brimming with indecision, basically.

But the slim teen didn't really have time to think on it, because everything moved at like warp speed after that, and soon Asako was gathering all the goods on the table and retrieving a few more sweets, and Gou was rallying the group together in a circle. 

"EH? Spin the bottle?" the blond third year called, boyish voice laced with exhilaration. Asako re-entered the main room from the kitchen, and took a set next to Kohaku.

Gou answered her fellow teammate with a nod and retrieved the bottle, and set the caramel glass figure in the middle. 

"I'll spin first! Whoever it lands on goes." the redhead announced before anyone could intervene. The aura surrounding the group of boys became much more tense than before, spare Rei and Nagisa- who looked a mix of tense and thrilled. With a flick of the manager's wrist, the bottle spun on its side like a blade's edge, and easily slowed to a dramatic halt.

This was supposed to be the one thing that went right.

They hadn't had one blunder the whole night, everything was going smoothly.

What, was the universe against them?

The mouth of the bottle, like a surprised 'o' shaped mouth, glared menacingly at Asako- while the rounded end was directed at... Hideki.

The navy haired swimmer felt the back of his neck heat up, the blush coming like needle-y pinpoints that rushed towards his ears and face and cheeks. The brunet opposite him only raised a hand over his lips, chocolate eyes dancing along the ground and refusing to meet Asako's. 

Why.

Why this.

"HIDE-CHAN, ASAKO-CHAN, NO WAY!" Nagisa interjected, demolishing the stunned silence. Rei gave a breathy laugh and a satisfied snicker emerged from Fujitaka, but there was no way anything was getting past Gou.

"Ah, my bad! Practice spin!" she interrupted the clamor, and darted into the center of the circle to pick up the bottle. Despite the sudden chorus of protest, the scarlet eyed girl gave it another whirl before sitting down, relief seeping across her countenance.

Jeez, the matchmakers  _really_ should've asked Gou for help earlier.

Asako gave a slight cough and let his slate eyes fall from his brunet friend's face, solace washing over his body like the waves in the pool. Hideki also seemed to be directing his focus towards the game again, now that it was set in motion, but the slight pink on his cheeks was unmistakeable. 

The bottle stopped.

There it was, rightfully pointing to Rei and Nagisa. Straight between the two.

Perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hideki and asako and fujitaka were meant to be plot devices  
> thats all  
> but   
> i think i may ship hideki and asako now  
> AND IM SORRY IM SO SORRY I CANNOT BELIEVE I WAS MIA FOR SO LONG I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE STILL READING... I REALLY LIKE THIS CHAPTER AND I HOPE YOU DO TOO AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE ENDING (even though its not that much of a cliffhanger) yell at me on tumblr or in the comments ;__;
> 
> ALSO happy new year and merry christmas/happy holidays!! ^^ Feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!


End file.
